A Leaf in the Shadows
by Silvershadow1142
Summary: Flametail has died and Littlecloud is old and weak. Shadowclan needs someone to train the medicine cat apprentice. Leafpool misses the life she used to have and is constantly tormented in her own clan, so she agrees to Littlecloud's request. Soon she becomes more comfortable in Shadowclan than she ever did in Thunderclan. Will Leafpool stay or go home and work things things out?
1. Clanborn Loner

Chapter 1

Leafpool stepped out of the warriors den, still feeling out of place. She still wasn't comfortable sharing a den with so many cats. During the time while she still served as Thunderclan's medicine cat, the only cats in her company were the occasional overnight patients and her apprentice. _Jayfeather. _Was she supposed to think of him as her son? She had obviously kitted him, but Leafpool knew she had never been a real mother. A real mother wouldn't have made the choices she had.

Trying to push those thoughts away, she padded to the fresh-kill pile. Leafpool could feel her ears growing hot as she experienced the other reason why she wasn't relaxed with her new position as warrior. It seemed like every cat in the clan was glaring at her. Some of the senior warriors, Graystripe Dustpelt, and her own mother Sandstorm, were a little ways off, seemingly discussing hunting patrols. Thornclaw bounded up to them, joining in the discussion. Leafpool saw Thornclaw say something to Duspelt, but she was too far off to hear what it was.

Dustpelt turned around and glowered at Leafpool. She shrank inside of her pelt, unable to relax even when her mother shot her a loving, sympathetic look. "Hey, move over!" Spiderleg snapped at her. Leafpool jumped, frightened out of her fur. She had been too lost in her thoughts to be aware of her clanmates! She stepped away from the fresh-kill pile. Spiderleg grabbed a mouse and trotted off to where Birchfall and Whitewing were sharing a sparrow. Leafpool could hear Spiderleg complaining to the pair about her.

Leafpool suppressed a sigh, as she looked around for someone to eat with. Her sister was being sent on patrol with Icecloud, Brightheart and Berrynose. Lionblaze and Cinderheart were taking their apprentices for battle training. Brambleclaw was speaking to Firestar, his tail waving back and forth as though emphasizing something. Her father listened intently, then called over the group of senior warriors

The brambles that made up the entrance to the den waved wildly as the rest of the warriors padded out. Almost every one of them gave her a sour glance as they waited for Brambleclaw to assign them to a patrol. Daisy appeared out of the nursery. She grabbed a bird off the fresh-kill pile and headed back to share it with Ferncloud and Poppyfrost.

_Thunderclan is so busy, yet I feel like a loner here._ Hardly any cats wanted to go on patrol with her, even her old friend Sorreltail had cast her aside. Squirrelflight, Sandstorm, Graystripe, Brightheart, and Hazeltail seemed like the only cats who were willing to forgive her.

Yet, her heart still ached as she remembered Crowfeather. The look in his eyes, the feel of his dark fur against hers, his slim tail twined with her fluffy one, his long limbs stretched out. The image of Crowfeather disappeared, to be replaced with one of Cinderpelt. Her heart ached more. Her beloved mentor and friend was gone to her as well. Leafpool still couldn't help feeling responsible for her death.

"Leafpool!" Brambleclaw called, his voice radiating with annoyance. Guiltily, she scrambled over to him.

"Yes?" her soft voice asked. Bumblestripe, Rosepetal and Millie were lined up beside him. The former medicine cat guessed she was being assigned to go on patrol with them.

Sure enough Brambleclaw's next words were, "Millie is leading a border patrol to renew the scent markers by the Shadowclan border. Watch out for badgers. There has been one scented around the area. And for Starclan's sake! Be more attentive next time!" He snapped at her. Leafpool blinked in surprise. She had known that Brambleclaw was mad at Squirrelflight for lying, but it hadn't occurred to Leafpool that the deputy was upset at her too. But to be fair, she should have been listening.

Millie dipped her head to the dark pelted tabby before dashing off into the forest. Her clanmates streamed after her, leaving Leafpool to hustle after them awkwardly. The brown and white tabby she-cat skidded to a halt when she saw the border. Bumblestripe was checking their territory for any signs of intrusions. Leafpool joined him, sniffing all the bushes. She stopped short when she encountered a very well known scent.

_Littlecloud!_ What could he be doing here? He was sick and old, the tom needed to conserve his strength, especially when he still didn't have an apprentice. And anyway, if he had needed something from Thunderclan, surely he would have gone to Firestar. Medicine cats had the special freedom to travel into another clan's territory, provided they had good reason. Leafpool couldn't remember seeing her friend in camp.

"Smell anything suspicious?" Milllie asked, her tone flat with annoyance. Leafpool had noticed most of the clan spoke to her this way, as though they were unhappy they had to talk to her. It always made her irritated, but there was nothing she could do.

Leafpool meowed, "No." She was surprised when Millie and Rosepetal eyed her distrustfully. What did she do now?

"Why does it look like you're hiding something?" Rosepetal asked.

Bunblestripe returned at that moment, announcing, "No scents but our own!" His cheerful tone was a stark contrast to those of the rest of the patrol. He seemed to pick up on the tension quickly. The tom swung his furry gray head to look at Millie and Rosepetal, then to Leafpool.

"I'm not hiding anything! You asked if I smelled anything suspicious, and all I can scent is Littlecloud. He's no threat!" Leafpool cried in outrage. Her anger fueled in defense of her friend, and of herself. She had practically been called a traitor.

Millie let out a huff of breathe and flicked her ears in frustration, while Rosepetal's tail-tip twitched. "Give us a straight answer next time!" Bumblestripe snapped. Millie began the trek back to camp, her younger clanmates falling behind her. Leafpool rolled her eyes in annoyance. She didn't want to go back to camp, to be glared at for the rest of the day. But her stomach growled and she didn't have any other options.

Upon her arrival into camp, Brambleclaw was waiting for her. "Why didn't return with the rest of the patrol?" Leafpool looked into his amber eyes, seeing hostility there. Having no reasonably good response, the brown tabby just shrugged her shoulders. "Don't wonder off on your own! The forest is dangerous to be out by yourself. A fox could eat you!" Brambleclaw scolded her fiercely.

Cloudtail, who had past the two cats on his way to the fresh-kill pile, muttered under his breath, "Oh don't we all wish." Leafpool glared at her uncle, but he was already out of earshot. She turned her attention to the deputy. He had a satisfied expression on his face, and Leafpool wasn't sure if it was from Cloudtail's remark or having made his point clear about the forest. The dark tom waved his tail, dismissing the she-cat. She dipped her head to him and walked toward the fresh-kill pile. Even if Brambleclaw was being mean, he was still the deputy and deserved respect. _But how about some respect for me? _

She grabbed a sparrow, and was happy to see her sister had already got back from patrol. Even better, Squirrelflight was sharing tongues with Hazeltail, who had already forgiven her. Leafpool hurried over to join them. Squirrelflight and Hazeltail greeted her happily and Leafpool touched noses with both of them.

"Hungry?" She asked. The smoky she-cat shook her head. Leafpool glanced at her sister, who nodded. The two littermates shared the bird and talked to Hazeltail. Leafpool almost choked when Lionblaze walked through the thorn tunnel with a patrol behind him. Surely her own kits wouldn't make cruel remarks to or about her? However, she realized, Lionblaze's thoughts were on someone else.

She watched her son as he searched the camp. His gaze fell on Cinderheart, longing, love and sadness lingering in his irises. Leafpool was completely sympathetic. _I know what it's like to love someone so much it aches, and to know you can't be with them. _Should she say something? _No, he wouldn't thank me for interfering. He'd tell me to stay out of his fur or something. _

"What about you, Leafpool?" Squirrelflight's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. _Mousedung! I really have to stop doing that! _Leafpool tried to hide it, but her sister could tell she didn't know what they were talking about. Hazeltail let out an amused purr and Squirrelflight smiled and repaeated the question, "Would you mentor Cherrykit or Molekit if you could?"

"No, and Firestar wouldn't pick me anyway. I'm hardly a good warrior since I've never had any training. Besides it wouldn't feel right." Her friends nodded agreement. Hazeltail's ear twitched, and she turned to see Jayfeather come out of the medicine cat den. Leafpool and Squirrelflight followed her gaze. Leafpool's breathe caught in her throat as the blind medicine cat stumbled on a pile of debris from the fallen tree. Jayfeather hissed and shook his paw. Leafpool was relieved to see that he could still walk on it and without limping.

The gray cat walked up to Lionblaze, who was eating a shrew. The tom moved over to share it with Jayfeather. Seeing her sons together made Hollyleaf's absence painfully obvious. _Oh my brave daughter, I'm so sorry. _ "He's okay." Squirrelflight meowed, having been worried about Jayfeather as well. Leafpool knew her littermate loved the brothers just as much as she did. _I don't regret having them. They are fine cats, and I love them. I just wish no cat found out they were mine._

**A/N: Hey guys! I know this was unexpected, considering you were expecting the sequel to Silverkit's Stuggle. But I am still working on ideas and I saw this story was up for adoption and I really liked it. The whole storyline and all the ideas come from Russell Scottie, whose also my beta for this. So these aren't my ideas but the story is mine. Anyways, I know this chapter is just kinda average, but there are some pretty awesome ideas to come. Thanks for reading, please review!**


	2. GoodBye

Chapter 2

In the two days since Leafpool had scented Littlcloud in Thunderclan territory, the forest had changed. The leaves had begun to turn yellow and orange and some were falling to the ground. Leafpool was grooming through her pelt, which was full of burrs from her last patrol. Brambleclaw was talking to Firestar again. Were they still having trouble with foxes? Compared to Littlecould's ever present scents, the fox was definitely no threat.

Leafpool knew the Shadowclan medicine cat wasn't one ether, but he was acting very strange. In all the moons she knew him, Littlecloud had always been honest and straightforward. Sneaking around like this didn't suit his personality.

The tabby she-cat rose to her paws and padded through the thorn tunnel. She had taken to checking the border for his scent whenever she herself wasn't on patrol. She wasn't sure what she hoped to accomplish by doing this. Did Leafpool think she could catch her friend in Thunderclan territory? And then what? Littlecloud was practically her last connection to her former role of medicine cat. Every night, her heart ached ruefully for the life she had lost.

If the secret hadn't come out, her kits wouldn't hate her, she would still be a medicine cat, with the whole clan loving and respecting her. _Everything has gone all wrong! Hold up! The scent is stronger here! And more recent! Focus! _Was she about to find Littlecloud?

The old medicine cat jumped out of a bramble bush as though he had been chased by something. He crashed into Leafpool but didn't seem to notice. He swung his head around, as though frightened by an unseen threat. His eyes were unfocused, his pelt clinging to him like a cobweb.

"Littlecloud!" she meowed joyously. His found hers and recognition washed over his dark pupils. He scrambled awkwardly off her, staring at the ground. Leafpool's ear twitched.

"Leafpool." Relief shook through his voice, vibrating his tone. "Please, take me to Firestar. There are thing I must arrange with him." Leafpool nodded, wondering why he was so solemn. And what needed to be arranged with her father? She nodded, knowing if her friend was going to confide in her, he would have. _You're a warrior now anyway. It's not appropriate to have friends in another clan. _

She led him through the forest using the most direct path to camp. It was getting late, the moon began to dance across the sky, the Sun sinking behind the trees to rest for the next day. Leafpool pushed through the thorn tunnel. The clearing was pretty empty; Dovepaw , Bumblestripe, Ferncloud, Foxleap and Dasiy were the only cats out. Ferncloud's eyes widen in surprise when she saw Littlecloud. Foxleap narrowed his eyes and left Dovepaw and Bumblestripe to confront Leafpool.

"Traitor! I always knew it! You brought a Shadowclan cat into our camp! Have you gone mad?" Foxleap spat. Leafpool forced herself not to flinch as she took in his furious expression. Littlecloud seemed about to say something, but Ferncloud spoke first.

"She became mad the minute she agreed to hook up with that Windclan slime!" She left Daisy alone and ran up to stand at Bumblestripe's side. She raised her hackles and hissed a threat. Leafpool struggled to control her anger. She was about to snarl a comeback. It was probably a good thing Littlecloud beat her to it.

"I need to see Firestar about something urgent. I'm a medicine cat, I heal not hurt." He dipped his head to the two thunderclan warriors. He touched Leafpool on her shoulder with his tail and together they climbed the rocks of Highledge. The she-cat padded into the leader's den softly and over to the orange tom.

"Firestar? Firestar, wake up." She licked his shoulder and he finally stirred.

"Wha-? Oh Leafpool. I hope it's important. I was dreaming." Firestar yawned sleepily. He sat up and groomed through his pelt swiftly. Leafpool was a little worried. She knew that he had a special connection with Starclan, had she interrupted a message from their warrior ancestors? Firestar continued, "I was about to catch a mouse! It was this far away!" He gestured with his tail to show just how far. Leafpool suppressed a giggle. It was nice to know the Thunderclan leader had regular dreams like the rest of the warriors.

"Sorry Firestar, but yes it's important. I found Littlecloud by the border. He said it's urgent he speaks with you." Leafpool meowed, waving her tail toward the entrance of his den. Littlecloud walked slowly as though he was about to encounter an enemy. Leafpool smiled at him, trying to ease his tension. "Come on in. I'll leave." She started to walk out but Littlecloud stopped her.

"This concerns you too. Stay. Please." Mystified, she turned back and sat beside him and Firestar. "Thank you for allowing into your camp and letting me speak with you." Littlecloud began, looking at Firestar. "As you know, my apprentice Flametail just joined our ancestors. I'm older as you know and getting increasingly weak. I can't die without leaving Shadowclan in good paws. And I am in no condition to train one. Leafpool, I must ask you. I wouldn't do this if I had another option. Please. Train the next Shadowclan medicine cat."

Leafpool just sat there in utter shock. _I never expected this! I considered other things, but not this! _And yet, she wanted it so bad. Working with Littlecloud, healing the sick, teaching an apprentice everything Cinderpelt taught her. But was she allowed to do this? Would Firestar even let her go? How would Blackstar react? How would _the whole of shadowclan_ react? She swallowed her excitement so she could sound mature. "May I go Firestar? The future of Shadowclan depends their medicine cat."

Firestar just sat there for a moment, pondering everything Littlecloud had said. At last he looked at Leafpool and nodded. "You have my permission. I shall miss you very much. Come home as soon as you can. Why don't you leave in the morning though? It is too dark to be wondering through the forest. Tomorrow I'll hold a clan meeting and then you can leave." Leafpool and Littlecloud nodded in unison.

They dipped their heads and left Firestar to go back to sleep. "Let's just sleep in the clearing." Littlecloud nodded and yawned. They quietly got some moss from the medicine cat den and laid it out.

Littlecloud immediately crawled into the soft bedding and fell right asleep. Leafpool settled herself into the moss, but sleep didn't come to her easily. Her mind kept getting in the way.

When dawn peeked through the trees, she found herself opening her eyes. _So I did sleep!_ The clan was beginning to wake up. Littlecould already was. He was sitting a little ways off, grooming through his fur with long strokes, pausing occasionally to cough. Leafpool sat up and gave her fur a lick.

Leafpool's clanmates were startled to see the Shadowclan medicine cat acting so casual in their camp. Jayfeather stepped forward and Brambleclaw was pushing past the cats to stand in front of the old tom. "What are you doing here, Littlecloud?" The deputy asked with just a bit of hostility in his tone. The rest of the clan was more aggressive. Some of them hissed, others unsheathed their claws and dug them into the ground. Whitewing, Sorretail, and Coudtail raised their hackles and glared defiantly at the medicine cat.

"Stop everyone! He has a reason to be here!" Firestar's voice rang out as he stepped away from the shadows of his den. The cats below turned to look at him. "He has asked Leafpool to train the next Shadowclan medicine cat since he is very sick. I have given her permission to do so."

Meows rang out through the camp. Most of them were comments about how much of a traitor she was that they were glad she was going, or that it was about time she saw no cat liked her. Firestar hushed the crowd angrily. "We shall miss her very much and welcome her warmly when she returns." He glared at his clan.

"Maybe if we welcome her back warmly enough, she'll burst into flames!" Mousewhisker taunted. Most of Thunderclan purred. Leafpool looked around the clan, ready to go and leave all this hate behind her. She turned away before letting a single tear escape.

"Let's go Littlecloud." She meowed in a clear voice. Her friend nodded. Squirrelflight, Hazeltail and Brightheart stepped forward to say goodbye. When Squirrelflight brushed muzzles with her sister, she was crying softly.

"Take care of yourself. Come home soon. Don't let these mouse brains get you down. You're awesome." She chocked out. Leafpool licked her sister's ear and stepped back. "Try to come to the Gatherings." The ginger she-cat added. Leafpool nodded, feeling quiet.

Littlecloud was standing behind her. When Leafpool turned around he asked, "Ready?" Leafpool gazed at Jayfeather and Lionblaze, wishing she could tell them goodbye. But she just said, "Yeah. Yeah I am."

**A/N: Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Hope you didn't mind I took the day off. I was so happy with the reviews, favorites and follows I got from the first chapter. And of course reads. Thank you all so much. I hope this chapter is just as good. Since I have a beta now, there's an extra step I have to take before I can upload this. So even though I wrote this 11-23, it may not go up till tomorrow. Thanks for reading! Please Review **

**The story ideas belong to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter.**

**Bear Down Arizona Wildcats! Win the Desert Duel!**


	3. Shadowclan

Chapter 3

The walk through the forest was quiet except for Littlecloud occasional coughing. Leafpool was lost in her thoughts. Like tides, a memory would come rushing to her, only to roll away again. Another one would flow into the center part of her mind, then retreat away.

Her first sight of her sister. Sandstorm licking her pelt till it shone. Firestar gazing down at his family, love and pride swimming in his eyes. Hearing the clan call out "Squirrelpaw, Squirrelpaw!" Sandstorm watching her proudly as she left with Cinderpelt for her medicine cat apprentice ceremony at the Moonstone. Her first dream with Starclan. Her clanmates cheering her apprentice name. Healing her first wound.

"We're at the border now." Littlecloud croaked. Leafpool jumped when Littlecloud spoke but relaxed again. He seemed to know that her mind was on other things. She nodded and slowed her pace, letting him lead now that she was in unfamiliar territory. For a moment, Shadowclan territory was almost the same as hers.

But as they got deeper into the forest, Leafpool could easily see all the differences. The trees were pine, not oak. The ground was marshier, hard for her to walk across without tripping. How could Littlecloud, as old and sick as he was, walk so gracefully? And it was definitely darker here than in her land. The branches of the trees were closer together, the leaves bigger, hardly allowing any light to pass through them.

It might have given her a sinister feeling but actually being here was calming to her. This forest was protecting her from her hostile clanmates. _I wonder why we haven't seen any Shadowclan patrols out?_

With no warning Littlecloud stopped. Leafpool stepped out from behind him to stand at his shoulder, getting a better view at what she guessed was the camp. She had never seen it before and her first impression is that it was simple and well suited to the territory. It appeared to be a dip in the ground with bramble bushes surrounding it. Hidden from sight, Leafpool would have never guessed it was the camp. It looked to only be a patch of bramble bushes. Secretive. Just like Shadowclan.

"Come on. I'll let Blackstar know what I intend to do." Littlecloud starts to enter the camp but Leafpool doesn't follow him. She is rooted to the ground. _Intend to do? As in, Littlecloud didn't tell Blackstar I would be training his next medicine cat? Does he want to face Blackstar's fury?_

He disappeared through the bushes leaving Leafpool to wonder if she should wait out here, or follow him inside. Before she can make a descion, Littlecloud pops his heads back out through the bush. "Coming?" Leafpool nodded and walked through brambles.

Inside the camp, she looks down at herself to see her pelt lined with new scratches. Littlecloud apologized, saying something about a proper entrance getting made soon. The clearing was almost empty. The few cats, Redwillow, Snowbird, Olivenose, Rowanclaw and Blackstar himself, were around what looked to be the fresh-kill pile. Littlecloud immediately walked up to his clanmates, still with the occasional cough, but Leafpool wasn't as relaxed. For the first time, she was frightened by what their reaction could be. Imagined scorned faces from Thunderclan ran through her head as she pictured herself walking back into her camp.

"Is that Leafpool? Of Thunderclan?" Olivenose asked, confusion caressing her tone. Leafpool didn't say anything. Littlecloud replied but not to Olivenose. He spoke to Blackstar. It was probably a good thing he spoke to his leader before the huge white tom accused him of being disloyal, bringing an enemy warrior into his camp so casually.

"You know I have not been in the best health. I am in no condition to train an apprentice. Now that… now that Flametail is gone, we need a new medicine cat more than ever. I just can't do it alone. And so I asked Leafpool, who has been one of my closest friends since her own apprentice days. She is a remarkably medicine cat." Leafpool waited anxiously for the white tom's reaction.

There was no anger, no hissed threat. Blackstar seemed to sense the wisdom in his medicine cat's words. "That's very sensible of you, Littlecloud. And generous of you, Leafpool. The clan thanks you. While you are here, we shall treat and view you as a clanmate." The Shadowclan leader meowed. Then, with a touch of his regular personality he added, "But if you tell Thunderclan of our secrets, we will not hesitate to strike back in revenge."

Leafpool was shaking her head. "I couldn't do that. Wouldn't. I am here as a favor to you." Littelcloud nodded in agreement.

"She is an honorable cat, Blackstar." He said. Again he took Littlecloud's word for it.

"I shall announce your arrival to the clan when they all return from their patrols." Littlecloud dipped his head to Blackstar and nudged Leafpool in the direction of his den.

"This is my den. You shall live here for the duration of your stay. I will sleep with the elders, but return to assist you in the day. I think it will be a bit cramped for three cats to be sleeping in here at once." Leafpool looked curiously at it. The trees weren't so bunched up, allowing Littlecloud to read any signs from Starclan. The den itself was two fallen trees that sat on top of each other. The space below them was just the right size for its purpose.

He went on to show her the nursery. Leafpool thought it was just like the one in the hollow back home but bigger. It smelled of milk and the ground was entirely of moss. It was sheltered by a bramble thicket. The scents come from inside the den told Leafpool there were two queens inside with their kits. One litter seemed to be almost six moons. She wanted desperately to go in and meet her future apprentice, but she had no choice other then to listen to Littlecloud.

"Come on, the warriors den is next." He said over his shoulder. She padded beside him and stopped when he did. The warriors den was simply under a low hanging tree. Several nests lay beneath the leaves. It actually looked comfortable though. The elder's den was made of brambles woven together. Leafpool peeked inside to see four sleeping cats.

"And this is Blackstar's den." His tail flicked to a large tree. At first, it was unclear to her where Blackstar had his nest made. As she looked closer she saw an opening in between the large roots, large enough for a cat of Blackstar's size. She nodded to Littlecloud.

By now, more and more of the clan were showing up, back from their patrols. Gossip seemed to have flown across the camp. Shadowclan cats were giving her curious glances. Leafpool realized that no matter what clan she lived in, she hated being stared at and gossiped about. But there was nothing she could do about. Littlecloud returned to his den and she followed behind.

"This is where I keep all the herbs." With his tail, he pulled back a screen of ferns and there lay Shadowclan's medicine supplies. Leafpool's heart was so happy, filled to the brim with bliss. Very soon, she would have her old life back! It wouldn't be the same, but it would still make her feel useful in the best way possible. "Please while you are here; consider yourself to be a full medicine cat of Shadowclan. If someone is sick or injured don't feel awkward about treating them." Littlecloud added.

Leafpool thanked him. His kindness felt wonderful to Leafpool, having spent the few seasons being treated like dirt. Being treated nicely was something she took for granted before she had meet Crowfeather. She was determined not to take it for granted again.

The clearing grew nosier. Leafpool had never heard her name be spoken so often by so many cats. She felt awkward. Blackstar's call silenced them.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, meet under Highbranch for a clan meeting." It was strange hearing the familiar call in another voice. Blackstar emphasized things Firestar didn't. His tone was business like whereas Firestar's was more personal. Leafpool could see him swarm up the tree that made his den and settle in the lowest branch. _It's time. Time to be received into my new clan._

**A/N: Hey. Hope you guys had a good day. Before I wrote this, I planned to have it mainly be the clan meeting. But after everything happened, this seemed like a good place to leave it off. Next chapter I'll probably reveal who the new medicine cat apprentice will be. Why don't you guys leave a review on who you want it to be, if you have an opinion. I already picked my cat, but I am open to ideas. If you want me to seriously consider it, please pick someone from the Omen of the Stars series, around the time of Night Whispers. Cause that's the setting. Thanks for reading. Btw to all my new readers, I can only write on the weekends or days off school. I just have too much homework during the week. Sorry.**

**The story ideas belong to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter.**


	4. Fresh Start

Chapter 4

Leafpool watched the clan gather around the large pine tree from the shelter of the medicine cat den, her heart pounding rapidly. She had never been so nervous in her whole life. She padded out softly beside Littlecloud to sit at the back of the crowd. Blackstar meowed, "Today is Dewkit, Mistkit and Sparrowkit's apprentice ceremony. Please come forward."

As the excited kits stumbled through the crowd, Blackstar leaped from the tree. They padded up to him. Blackstar looked down at Sparrowkit first, meowing, "Starclan, I ask you to watch over this apprentice. Set his paws on the right path so he may serve his clan well. Until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Sparrowpaw. I give you Olivenose as your mentor." The she-cat padded up to face Blackstar, standing beside Sparrowpaw. "Olivenose, you are a patient and wise warrior, pass on these qualities to Sparrowpaw." The tortoiseshell warrior dipped her head to her leader and touched her to nose Sparrowpaw's.

The two cats melted back into the crowd. Blackstar continued on looking at Mistkit, "I ask for Starclan to guide you along this path and give you the right traits for you to become an honorable warrior." The tiny cat fluffed out her fur and puffed her chest out proudly. Blackstar let out a trill of amusement. He looked at the crowd, and then locked his gaze with Applefur's. He flicked his tail, beckoning her forward. "You shall mentor her, Applefur. You have courage and wisdom. Pass these virtues to Mistpaw."

Applefur nodded and Mistpaw pressed her nose to Applefur's eagerly. She and her new mentor fell back into the crowd. Dewkit stood alone now but she showed no signs of her emotion. Leafpool wondered if she would become the next medicine cat. She knew that Ivytail had her own litter of kits.

"Dewkit, from this moment forward and until you receive your full name, you shall be known by the apprentice name of Dewpaw." _He didn't say warrior name! He said full name! _"I understand it is your wish to enter the world of a medicine cat?" _I knew it! I wonder what kind of apprentice she will be? _Leafpool watched Dewpaw intently as the gray she cat nodded solemnly. "Your mentor shall be Leafpool." Murmurs spread through the clan, the cats obviously were confused. "Littlecloud has been ill recently and is not well enough to train you. It is a kindness that Leafpool is here to show you all of her skill. I expect you shall treat her with all the respect you would give a clanmate."

Blackstar spoke to Dewpaw but his eyes swept across the camp, making it clear to every cat that Leafpool would be one of them for as long as she stayed. The murmurs quieted. Leafpool was conscious of the gazes of her "new clanmates". She ambled over to Blackstar and Dewpaw. "The whole of Shadowclan thanks you for your skills and sacrifice. May Starclan be with you and Dewpaw as you help her serve the clan." Leafpool trembled all over, but she managed to nod to Blackstar and greet Dewpaw. Leafpool could see excitement sparkling in her pale blue eyes. "Meeting dismissed."

Right away, the cats broke into groups, no doubt sharing their opinions on the former Thunderclan medicine cat training a Shadowclan apprentice. Rowanclaw called for silence as he divided the clan into patrols and hunting parties. Tigerheart, Leafpool noticed, slipped out of the camp alone. _Where's he going? _She shrugged away her curiosity. The patrols headed out of camp, the two new apprentices looking eager at the prospect of seeing the territory. She turned to Dewpaw. "Why don't I show you some of the herbs Littlecloud has in his den?"

"Okay!" Dewpaw squeaked. Purring, Leafpool lead her to the den. She rolled borage, catmint and marigold out of the store. Before she could say anything, Dewpaw meowed, "I know what that one is! Catmint!" Dewpaew seemed to be proud of herself and Leafpool purred.

"Yes that's right. Nice job. When did you learn that?" Leafpool asked curiously.

"Flametail gave some of that to Mistpaw when she lost her voice. That why I wanted to be a medicine cat. To honor Flametail and be able to help my clan. I felt useless when my sister was ill." Dewpaw said promptly. She looked downcast at the mention of Flamtail. _Of course, if she had an interest in herbs, she must have spent lots of time in here. She and Flametail would have been friends. _Leafpool curled her tail around the tiny cat, hoping to comfort her.

"Let's go out into the forest and I'll show you where to find these." She said gently, wanting to cheer her apprentice up. It worked. Dewpaw's head snapped up and her eyes were shining again. She sidestepped out of the den but Leafpool was distraught at something. _How am I going to show her where everything is? I don't know this territory any more than other Thunderclan cat would! _She heard Littlecloud's voice outside. He seemed to be speaking to Dewpaw. Then he entered his den, Ivytail behind him.

"I showed Ivytail where all the herbs are found. She can help you with Dewpaw. Kinkfur is looking after her kits." Leafpool nodded and thanked Ivytail. Together the three she-cats left camp. Leafpool nodded to Ivytail, who nodded back and took the lead. She led them deep into the forest. Dewpaw let out a little purr of excitement when she saw borage growing. Ivytail stopped. "Catmint can be found here, by the twoleg nest." Leafpool recognized the place from Squirrelflight's description. She, Brambleclaw and some other warriors helped Shadowclan fight against two unruly kittypets.

"Notice how close to the twoleg nest we are. Be careful of those two kittypets. You've heard the story right?" Leafpool added. Dewpaw nodded.

"Can I collect some to take back to camp?" Dewpaw suggested. Leafpool said yes she could, then helped her gather the herb.

While they were working, Leafpool said, "Catmint is the only known cure to greenchough and whitechough. It's hard to find since we need twolegs to grow it for us." They returned to Ivytail, who had been keeping watch over them in case the kittypets decided to give them more trouble.

They set off into the forest again. Ivytail led them to a small twoleg path. She looked both ways, then, carefully, the cats crossed it and found a clump of marigold among other plants. Ivytail gathered the marigold and Leafpool took some of the borage. "Marigold is good for stopping infections. And the borage brings down fever, and helps nursing queens with their milk supply." Leafpool said.

When the three cats returned it was well past sunhigh. "Dewpaw the herbs have gotten messed up. Could you put them back in piles? Just match them up, you shouldn't have any problems. I'm going to ask Ivytail to show me where all the other herbs are found."

"Ok Leafpool!" the young cat gave a bounce, zealous about her first real medicine cat duty. "I'll do a great job! I'll do so well you'll be surprised!"

"I'm sure you'll do a great job." The tabby she-cat gave her apprentice a lick before going out again with Ivytail.

Leafpool felt completely at home in Shadowclan. Their territory and Thunderclan's were very similar, with large trees and bramble thickets. The only tangible difference was the ground being marshier than she was used to. Already, she felt confident navigating through their forest. It seemed that she had lived here her whole life. It was almost as natural as breathing. _That's really strange. I'm a Thunderclan cat from my nose to my tail. So why do I feel this way? _

She was definitely happier here than she had been since she met Crowfeather. That seemed to be when all the trouble started. She had felt guilty during that time, and then after her kits were born she was too suspicious to relax. Once the news was out about her kits, she was no longer treated at a clanmate. This was her first chance to catch her breath. And having the life of a medicine cat again was more than she had dreamed of.

The sun had just barely said good night when Ivytail and Leafpool returned. "Thank you for everything, Ivytail."

"No problem, it was fun." Ivytail responded. After a second, she added, "Leafpool, what you're doing for Shadowclan… it's really thoughtful of you. I'm glad I finally got to formally meet you and work with you, it's been a pleasure." Leafpool, caught off guard, nodded feeling awkward. "And don't mind our clanmates. They are just surprised, and some of them were upset that we needed help from a Thunderclan cat. We are a rather prideful clan." Both cats laughed. "But they'll warm up to you quickly, once they see how nice you are." The queen dipped her head and dashed into the nursery before Leafpool could blink.

It was nice to know she had some new friends already. As she entered her den, a smile lit up her face. Her other little friend had fallen asleep, one paw stretched over an oak leaf.

**A/N: Wow. I didn't expect this chapter to be this long. Cool. I hope you all had a good week. I hope this chapter was everything you expected. So what do you think? Do you like Leafpool being in Shadowclan? Did I do a good job on the mentoring parts? Do you guys like Dewpaw? I had to research some stuff first before I could write this, like plants and the territory. Leave a review, tell me what you think, anyway I can improve. Thanks for reading!**

**The story ideas belong to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter**


	5. Monster

Chapter 5

Quietly, Leafpool carefully removed the oak leaf from under the apprentice's paw. She purred softly with amusement. She started to finish the job Dewpaw had started, matching the leaves together and discarding any that had withered or smelled musky. After a while, her yawns grew more frequent. She bundled up the herbs and carefully placed them inside the wall of fern. She felt as though she was sleepwalking to her nest. She settled herself into the soft ferns and moss, tucking her soft tail around her muzzle.

The sun greeted her in the morning, telling her it was time to meet the day. She stretched her limbs out and turned to awaken her apprentice. She placed her paw on Dewpaw's shoulder and gently shook her. Dewpaw blinked her eyes open slowly. "Wha-? Oh. Leafpool. Is it dawn already?" Leafpool nodded.

The medicine cat apprentice yawned and scrambled out of her nest. "What are we doing today?" She asked, her regular zealous starting to shine through her voice now that she was awake.

Leafpool looked down at her and meowed, "I'm going to show you some more of the herbs and their uses. Lets go out into the forest. We are low of Coltsfoot." Dewpaw nodded eagerly and raced out of camp. Leafpool dashed after her. "Dewpaw!" she called, "Dewpaw! Slow down!"

Her apprentice screeched to a stop and turned around to face her mentor. "What's wrong?" Her fluffed up dark gray fur suggested she was cold. She stood with her paws planted firmly apart, gazing at her mentor curiously. Leafpool looked around nervously, her jaws parted so she could taste the air.

She padded up to Dewpaw, wrapping her tail around the apprentice's mouth. "Shh. Something doesn't feel right." She whispered. She swung her head around, appearing to be searching for something. Her eyes reflected fear and uncertainty. Without looking at Dewpaw, she meowed flatly in an eerie fashion, "Let's go back to camp." She turned to face the gray she-cat who nodded worriedly.

Leafpool was taking the first few steps when a creature let out a long drawn out growl. Instantly, she wrapped her tail around Dewpaw, taking a defensive crouch over her. The apprentice was trembling in fear and whimpering, reminding Leafpool of the kit she had been two days ago. She ran in the direction of the camp when a large black and white shape erupted from a bush and slammed right into Leafpool. Dewpaw jumped away, scared to death. "Leafpool!" she screamed.

Leafpool lay on the ground, stunned. The badger roared at her, then swiped a claw down her flank. She let out screech of pain, causing the blood to drip even faster out of the wound. Dewpaw jumped on the badger and ran her claws down its back. The badger threw her off and glared at the cowering apprentice. It swiped at her, scaring her ear and eye. Luckily enough, Dewpaw shut her left eye, preventing any damage to the eye. It was only her eyelid that had been damaged.

"No Dewpaw! Get out of here! Go to camp, send reinforcements!" Leafpool said, forcing herself to get up and barrel into the beast. Dewpaw ran out of the little clearing. She hated to leave her mentor but the little she-cat knew there was no better way to be helpful. She knew no battle moves and despite Leafpool's knowledge of defensive moves, it would do nothing against such a fierce creature. It was hard for her to ignore Leafpool's screams, to keep running farther away from her, but she comforted herself with the knowledge that she could save her. If only she could arrive with a patrol of seasoned warriors, if only she could get there in time. The thought made her run faster till she was convinced she was flying through the forest.

"Blackstar help!" Dewpaw cried as she ran through the entrance. "Help! We were attacked by a badger!" The warriors in the clearing, Tigerheart, Shrewfoot, Snowbird, and Olivenose, leaped to their paws and followed Dewpaw back to the place where they had been attacked. Horror washed over Dewpaw like a storm cloud. Her mentor seemed really beat up. Her fur was drenched in blood and her eyes were half closed.

With a battle cry, Tigerheart led the attack. He slammed into the badger, wrestling it to the ground. The dark tom held the badger to the ground as Shrewfoot clawed it, scoring her claws against its coarse pelt. Snowbird and Olivenose huddled around Leafpool defensively. The creature reared up, sending Tigerheart flying across the clearing. The beast snapped at Shrewfoot who ducked out of the way and retaliated with her own attack. Tigerheart leaped up and joined the fight, clawing its snout as Shrewfoot bit it.

Yelping, the badger fled but Tigerheart and Shrefoot didn't give up so easily. The warriors gave chase. Meanwhile, Snowbird and Olivenose were helping Leafpool to her paws. She kept stumbling. Snowbird steadied her and she and Olivenose pressed against her. Taking most of her weight on their shoulders, the three cats headed for the camp. Dewpaw watched them go, her eyes stinging and nose running.

Togerheart and Shrewfoot, out of breath, crashed through the ferns. Inferring that their clanmates had taken Leafpool back to camp, the warriors nudged Dewpaw. She looked up at them, wanting more than ever to know that Leafpool would be okay.

"You're the medicine cat apprentice. Surely Leafpool told you how to heal these kinds of wounds?" Shrewfoot meowed gently. Dewpaw nodded, her throat too clogged to manage words

"Then you should be at camp, healing her wounds. You can help her. And Littlecloud can help you too." Tigerheart said softly. Dewpaw felt a little better knowing she could help her friend and mentor. The warriors flanked her as they journeyed home.

Dewpaw made a beeline to her den, knowing that was where Snowbird and Olivenose would take Leafpool. When she entered, she saw her unconscious but still breathing. Guessing time was of the essence, she hurried to gather the cobwebs and marigold. Mistpaw stepped into the den. "Is there anything you need?"

"Wet moss. But first, ask Littlecloud if he could help me." Dewpaw's mew was brisk, not turning around to answer. Her mind was focused on Leafpool. Mistpaw nodded and disappeared into the elder's den. Sparrowpaw, hearing what Dewpaw had said, gathered moss and exited the camp. Dewpaw started licking the blood, washing Leafpool's pelt so she could see where all the injuries were. Thankfully, the wet moss arrived within minutes. It was quicker to wash Leafpool with the water. When her pelt was no longer red, Dewpaw made poultices from the marigold to place into her wounds. They started to bleed again, so she applied cobwebs. She was just finishing up when Mistpaw came in.

"Littlecloud was coughing when I looked in on him, and Tallpoppy said he had been coughing all day. I didn't think it would be right to ask him to help when he looked so sick." Mistpaw explained cautiously, not wanting to make her sister panic. The medicine cat apprentice just sighed and murmured agreement.

After checking Leafpool over to make sure she didn't miss any, she padded out of the den to where the battle patrol was reporting to Blackstar and Rowanclaw. The leader and deputy had been on hunting patrols during the crisis. She waited till they were done reporting before she examined them. Snowbird and Olivenose had no injuries since they had been defending Leafpool. But Shrewfoot had some scratches on her flank and Tigerheart had dislocated his shoulder when the badger threw him across the forest.

"How were you able to run like that?" To her surprise, Dewpaw's voice was steady as she led the two warriors to her den.

"Painfully," He grunted. He and the white warrior sat down and watched as Dewpaw cleaned Shrewfoot's wounds and applied marigold and cobwebs.

"Why don't you rest for the remainder of the day? Come back tomorrow for a fresh poultice." The white cat nodded and retired to her nest for the day. Turning to Tigerheart she meowed, "Be right back." She slipped out of her den only to reemerge with Toadfoot. "Lie down in the same position as Tigerheart please." She instructed the senior warrior.

Nodding, he assumed the same position as Tigerheart. Dewpaw ran her paw along his leg, and then did the same to Tigerheart. The toms exchanged confused glances. What was Dewpaw doing? "Okay Tigerheart. Leafpool didn't show me what to do when a cat dislocates their leg, but seeing the way it is supposed to be… I should be able to put it back. I'll have to use my teeth."

Carefully, she gripped his leg in her jaws and pulled. Tigerheart let out a loud hiss. Dewpaw was able to hear a tiny click, assuring her that she had done it right. She dismissed Toadfoot, thanking him as he left to join Redwillow's hunting patrol. Dewpaw treated Tigerheart's other wounds and gave him a poppy seed to help him with the pain. "I'll talk to Rowanclaw about being excused from patrols for a few days. Stay off that leg as much as possible."

Tigerheart thanked her drowsily, and limped to his nest. Dewpaw left the den and spoke with Rowanclaw. "I want Leafpool to clear him before he does any patrols," She finished.

"So she is okay?" Rowanclaw asked.

Dewpaw struggled to find the right words. At last she bowed her head, "I've done all I can. She's in the paws of Starclan." She could hardly keep back a wail of despair. She fled to her den and buried her muzzle and grief into Leafpool's shoulder fur. "Starclan please! Don't take her from me!" the young cat whispered. She sat back, holding her head high with a new determination. She would watch over Leafpool. She would make sure Starclan didn't take her. But the sadness lingered still.

**A/N: Hey guys. I had a lot of fun writing this. The battle scenes are always hard for me but I like how intense they are. And I LOVE Tigerheart. He's just…awesome. Poor Leafpool! But I wanted Dewpaw to grow up a little, not be so bouncy and over excited all the time. She needed a little seriousness. But don't worry, with any luck Leafpool will live and Dewpaw will be her normal self in a few days. Btw, leave me a review and tell me if you want Leafpool to have a mate if she lives. Maybe even leave a suggestion.**

**Thanks to Nyachu-chan for her suggestions on making the ending better and being so kind. She adopted this story too! Go read her version, it's awesome!**

**The Idea belongs to Russell Scottie. The Characters Belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	6. Responsibility

Chapter 6

The days were flying by quickly, though it seemed to Dewpaw a long time had passed since her mentor was attacked. It had been four sunrises since the badger had attacked them. Those four days consisted mostly of Dewpaw watching over Leafpool, though she did take a break to check on Shrewfoot and Tigerheart. Shrewfoot's wounds were healed nicely, not even a scar to show off how bravely she had fought. Tigerheart was a bigger concern. Dewpaw had no idea whether or not his shoulder was any better. _If he gets any worse, it'll be all my fault! _

Dewpaw took a moment to look at her own wound. She had been so intent on treating her clanmates that first day, she had forgotten it was there. Mistpaw had pointed it out to her while the sisters were sharing a lizard. Dewpaw had licked the dried blood away and put a marigold poultice and cobwebs on it. It was better now, even if it was starting to scar. _Who cares what I look like anyway?_ The first time she had seen her reflection in a puddle, the large wound that was scaring her eye and ear had scared her.

She was used to it by now. Like she had, she clan was a bit frightened at first. By they had calmed down now too. Shaking her head to clear it from all the troubling thoughts, she slipped out of the den. The camp was bustling with activity. Rowanclaw was getting the patrols together, sending Smokefoot, Tawnypelt and Dawnpelt to check the Riverclan border. The cats vanished into the forest and Rowanclaw called for Crowfrost, Scorchfur, Applefur and Mistpaw to renew the Thunderclan border.

"Oakfur will you lead a hunting patrol?" Rowanclaw asked, turning to senior warrior. The brown tom nodded and beckoned to Owlclaw, Olivenose and Sparrowpaw. Dewpaw watched them leave, remembering when she and her littermates were kits; they had starred into the forest, so excited to begin their training; Kinkfur often teased them that they were going to burst. _Things were so much easier. _Sighing, she grabbed a mouse and retreated to her den to eat it. She checked on Leafpool but there was no change. Dewpaw finished her meal and left to check Tigerheart and the elders.

She found Tigerheart in the warriors den, staring out of camp wistfully. It reminded her again of when she was nothing more than a kit. That same look had been in her eyes. Dewpaw understood how Tigerheart felt. "How does your shoulder feel?" It was the same thing she asked him every day.

"Fine, I don't feel any pain at all." Tigerheart's mew was laced thickly with sadness and longing. _He misses being out in the forest, patrolling and hunting for the clan. _Her head spun; she wanted to let him back on warriors' duties; yet she was reluctant, not knowing if that would damage his shoulder more.

"You can go back to your duties. Just take it slowly and be careful. I want you in my den if you have any pain at all." She meowed at last. Tigerheart slowly got up, as if to show Dewpaw just how careful he could be. His eyes betrayed the excitement in his heart.

With a critical eye on him, the two cats left the den and veered off in separate directions; Dewpaw to the elders' den and Tigerheart out into the forest. She mewed a greeting before ducking her way into the den. The four elders, Cedarheart, Tallpoppy, Whitewater and Snaketail, were talking amongst themselves. They turned to look at Dewpaw as she entered the den and in return she dipped her head respectfully. "I've come to change the bedding. And look over you all for ticks."

She rolled up the moss into a ball and tucked it under her chin. Clumsily, she dumped the old bedding in the Dirtplace and scouted the territory for the makings of a fresh nest. She hauled it back to camp and made four new nests.

She got the mouse bile-still no change in Leafpool, Dewpaw checked- and searched the elders for any ticks or fleas. When she found one, she dabbed the mouse bile on it till it dropped off. When she had finished all four elders, she fetched them fresh kill. It was past sunhigh when her caring for the elders was done.

Her littermates were scrambling through the brambles, their mentors already in the clearing. Dewpaw padded up to join them. Maybe she just needed to relax a little. She bounded forward to meet them. "Hey Dewpaw!" Sparrowpaw said excitedly.

"Hi Sparrowpaw, Mistpaw. How's the hunting?" Dewpaw asked. Ever since she was apprenticed about haft a moon ago, she had spent less and less time with her littermates. Half a moon was not a particularly long time but to three siblings, who did everything together, it dragged on. They were still getting used to the adjustment.

"Fine. Today we were practicing battle moves! Watch this!" The words were hardly out of Mistpaw's mouth before she pounced on their brother. The tabby apprentice disappeared under the writhing gray bundle of fur. Sparrowpaw threw her off easily, his muscles rippling under his pelt. He counter attacked Mistpaw, pinning her to the ground. Struggling under the heavier apprentice, Mistpaw thrashed around wildly. Dewpaw suppressed a purr, thinking that her sister looked just like a dying fish.

She could see that Sparrowpaw had pressed his claws into the ground, allowing no escape for Mistpaw. Dewpaw launched herself at Sparrowpaw, the impact having just enough force to knock him off his paws. "Hey, no fair! I had her! You're a medicine cat!" His words were sullen, but his eyes gleamed with his usual happiness. Dewpaw just gave him a smile.

As soon as Sparrowpaw had been thrown aside, Mistpaw had scrambled into a bramble that encircled the camp. Dewpaw had noticed but Sparrowpaw, hadn't; He had kept his gaze on the medicine cat apprentice.

Suddenly, Mistpaw exploded from the brambles. Sparrowpaw let out a screech of surprise. Dewpaw hurled herself at Sparrowpaw too, even though the tom was already pinned to the ground. Mistpaw planted her front paws on Sparrowpaw's chest. Mistpaw used the same trick of digging her claws into the ground. "All right, all right. You guys win. Let me up." Sparrowpaw sighed.

The sister looked at each other, as though debating whether or not to. "Can he be trusted?" Dewpaw asked with mock seriousness. Mistpaw sighed thoughtfully, and Sparrowpaw snorted as if he didn't know they were joking.

"I guess so. We showed him whose boss." Mistpaw said at last. She took her claws out of the ground and hopped off him gracefully. Dewpaw's jump was clumsier.

"Hungry?" Sparrowpaw asked. His stomach snarled, as if to accentuate the question. Dewpaw and Mistpaw nodded and the three littermates headed to the freshkill pile. After splitting a lizard and a mouse between the three of them, Dewpaw rose to her feet.

"I have to gather some more marigold. We're almost out." The she-cat was hesitant to leave her brother and sister. The apprentices rose to their paws too.

"Olivenose is expecting me to go hunting." Sparrowpaw said. He looked down at his paws, seeming embarrassed or sad for reasons unknown. _Is something troubling him? I hope he knows I will always love and support him. _Dewpaw pressed herself into the orange tom's fur for a moment. He just pulled away from his grey sister and dashed out of camp. Dewpaw looked over at Mistpaw but she was just as confused. What was with Sparrowpaw?

"He'll tell us eventually. And we'll help him through it." Mistpaw said. Dewpaw nodded. They couldn't do anything until he told them what was wrong. The two littermates didn't want to pry; Sparrowpaw would tell them when he was ready.

"I'd better get that marigold." Dewpaw mewed. She walked slowly out of camp, her mind still with Sparrowpaw. The marigold was easy enough to find, Dewpaw had always been good at memorizing things. On the way back, she caught sight of Sparrowpaw stalking a mouse. She headed for camp in an opposite direction, unwillingly to let her brother think she was spying on him.

When she returned most of the clan was in the clearing, having finished the day's duties. Dewpaw set the marigold outside the den and padded up to Tigerheart. "How are you? Any pain?" She asked.

"Nope! It actually feels better!" his joy had always been contagious, but even the medicine cat apprentice couldn't catch it today. She said good bye to Tigerheart and went to dry the marigold leaves. She was astounded when she entered the den. Her mouth gaped open wide, causing the marigold to fall to the ground. Her heart sped up and joy seeded its way into her heart, temporarily getting rid of her worries.

"Leafpool!"

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY! I wish I could have updated over the weekend. I had almost finished this chapter Saturday but then my family and I went to go get our Christmas tree and decorate the house. And there's a good chance I won't upload next weekend either since I'll be studying for my finals. But on Winter break, I'm going to write a chapter a day. Btw, happy Hanukkah to all of my Jewish readers! I'm haft Jewish myself… anyway. I wonder what's with Sparrowpaw? Thanks for reading, please leave a review. **

**The ideas belong to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	7. Guardian

Chapter 7

"Are you almost ready, Dewpaw?" Leafpool called from where she waited at the camp entrance. Dewpaw meowed a quick farewell to her siblings and ran over her mentor. The apprentice couldn't remember a time when she had been so excited. Leafpool was going to introduce her to the other medicine cats and Starclan tonight!

"I'm ready!" She purred, her tail waving with uncontrollable excitement. Dewpaw couldn't help but noticed her mentor's scar. It had been a quarter moon since Leafpool had regained conscious. She showed signs of improvement, but nothing told her she wasn't pain free. The young cat's excitement lessened, worry becoming a dark cloud to cover her ecstatic feelings.

She decided to give it one last shot. "Leafpool, maybe you should stay here. I do know how to get to the Thunderclan camp, and Jayfeather could escort me the rest of the way." It was the same words she had been speaking ever since Leafpool declared she was going to the half moon meeting. Dewpaw braced herself to hear Leafpool say she was fine, like she always said when Dewpaw tried to convince her to stay in camp. When she didn't answer, Dewpaw looked at her mentor worriedly.

She could see Leafpool's mind was on other things, her eyes far and distant, as though reliving memories. The apprentice remembered what Littlecloud had told her: It was revealed at a disastrous Gathering that her mentor was the mother of Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf and their father was Crowfeather, the Windclan deputy's son. Up till that point, it had been thought that Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw had been their parents.

Dewpaw knew that Leafpool had a tough time in Thunderclan after Hollyleaf had told their secret, despite having Squirrelflight, Sandstorm and Firestar's love and support. It was part of the reason Leafpool had agreed to come to Shadowclan.

Dewpaw nudged her and Leafpool's eyes regained their focus. Silently the gray she-cat vowed not to mention Jayfeather or any of her kits unless she absolutely had to; Jayfeather was a small part of why Dewpaw didn't want Leafpool to go to the Moonpool.

But an even more worrying though was tugging at her; the wound Leafpool had received in the Badger attack. It had almost finished healing, but Dewpaw didn't want to risk it. "I'm fine. I have to go, who else would perform your apprentice ceremony?" Dewpaw dipped her head to Leafpool and the two she-cats headed out, passing a hunting patrol on the way.

Dewpaw tried to regain her excitement but all new kinds of worries rushed at her. What would the other medicine cats think of having Leafpool train the Shadowclan medicine cat? After all, she hadn't even been allowed to return to her medicine cat duties in her own clan. And what would they think of their scars? How would Leafpool react to Jayfeather?

In the end, none of her worries were valid. Leafpool had collected herself into the calm cat she used to be. "This is Dewpaw." Leafpool said when they had met up with Thunderclan's medicine cat. Dewpaw nodded to him nervously, unsure of his reaction. Dewpaw was well aware of Jayfeather's feelings toward Leafpool. Would those feelings be extended to her as well, being that Leafpool was her mentor?

But he nodded and said, "Greetings. How's the prey running?" He sounded gruff but not angry. Dewpaw took that as a good sign. _Maybe he always sounds like that. Maybe his voice is just like that. _

"Good. Starclan is being generous to us this moon." Dewpaw meowed. She was surprised he didn't comment on their scars before remembering he was blind. The three cats continued the journey in silence. Yet it didn't feel awkward, the silence that stretched between them was more like an old friend. All three of them were comfortable, alone in their thoughts.

"Leafpool, Jafeather!" the call came from a molted brown tom with the scent of heather on his fur. He seemed surprised to see Leafpool. Following behind him were two she-cats, one a golden honey and the other a dark silver.

"Whose this?" The dark silver she-cat asked, setting her gaze on Dewpaw. The silver cat looked puzzled; she opened her mouth to take in Dewpaw's scent. "Shadowclan. Where's Littlecloud?" She asked.

"Willowshine, Kestrelflight, Mothwing, this is Dewpaw. She is the Shadowclan medicine cat. And… I am mentoring her." Leafpool braced herself for their fury, to hear their outrage and accusations. But there was a silence. It was not like the silence before with the Shadowclan and Thunderclan cats. This was an awkward eerie quiet, making the air feel frosty even though it was the middle of Greenleaf.

"What does Blackstar think of this?" The golden tabby finally asked. Dewpaw guessed that it was Mothwing. She and the silver tabby had the scent of river water and fish on their pelts. The golden she-cat was beautiful with a dappled coat and tabby stripes. _Wonder how come her name's weird if she's so pretty? _

"He is surprisingly open to it. But it's common knowledge Littlecloud is sick and weak. And he's not as strong or as young as he once was. Blackstar's no fool." Leafpool answered. The silver cat stepped forward and nodded to Dewpaw.

"Hello Dewpaw. It is great to meet you, I'm Willowshine. Mothwing and I are the Riverclan medicine cats. And that's Kestrelflight. He's the Windclan medicine cat." She swept her tail to each cat in turn. They all nodded to her in turn and meowed greetings. Dewpaw felt herself relaxing.

The six cats headed up Windclan's moor, Willowshine fell in beside the new apprentice. "Where did you get that scar?" The Riverclan cat asked curiously.

Hesitantly, Dewpaw told the story of the badger attack. "I'm still unsure if Leafpool is completely better." She finished. Willowshine's green eyes were stretched open wide with surprise.

"That must have been such a lot of responsibility, especially one day after beginning your apprenticeship. How'd you handle it?" The older cat mewed.

The Shadowclan cat paused with a sudden curiosity. Why was Willowshine so interested? _If this happened to Riverclan, I suppose I would ask questions too. _"Well the day before Leafpool taught me about Marigold and Cobwebs, so I was ok at that. But I was lost at what to do with Tigerheart's shoulder. I put it in place and made him rest for a few days. And Leafpool especially worried me. She lost a lot of blood and the wound was deep." Dewpaw said.

Willowshine nodded, her eyes thoughtful. "Sounds like you handled it well. Oh we're here!" Her new friend gave her a nudge and the two of them hurried to catch up with the older cats. Dewpaw felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of something so beautiful and majestic. The pool seemed to reflect each of the stars; it truly was the home of Starclan.

Leafpool padded straight up to the pool, clearly used to the magnificent waters. _How could someone ever get used to this? _The other cats stood a few feet back, forming a little path for Dewpaw. Willowshine hurried up to her mentor and sat down. She gave Dewpaw a gentle blink, encouraging her forward.

Happily, Dewpaw walked up to stand in front her mentor. "Dewpaw is it your wish to enter the mysteries of Starclan as a medicine cat?" Leafpool said, using the age old words that have been spoken so many times before.

Dewpaw quivered. "It is." She had never been happier in her whole life.

"Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice." Leafpool continued, "She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." In a lower tone she added, "Lie down and drink from Moonpool."

Dewpaw obeyed instantly, lapping up some of the liquid starshine. The water was like nothing she had ever tasted. She wasn't sure how to describe it. Suddenly she found herself in a dream. She looked up to see a dark tortoiseshell cat looking at her with a yellow gaze.

"Hello young Dewpaw. I am Mossheart. I was Shadowclan's medicine cat during the dawn of the clans, when they were still creating the clans and warrior code." The cat said. Dewpaw was awed. Why had such a legendary cat come to see her?

Dewpaw dipped her head to the Starclan medicine cat. "It is an honor to meet you. Do you need to tell me something?" _Is going to give me a prophecy?_

But the ancient medicine cat just purred amusedly. "No little one. No, not today. I was chosen by Spottedleaf to be your guardian. Where ever you walk, I shall walk with you. I will always be here to protect and guide you. Tonight, my task was simply to welcome you to Starclan and your new life."

"Why Spottedleaf?" Dewpaw knew Spottedleaf was a Thunderclan cat, but beyond that, she hadn't a clue why she was important.

"Spottedleaf is Leafpool's guardian. Leafpool is your mentor, so it was Spottedleaf's duty to appoint a guardian for you. I know we shall become very close, great friends. But now we must part. I shall see you again very soon."

**A/N: How's that for a chapter. Hope it's everything you all have been waiting for. I like the whole idea of Guardians. I knew it really didn't happen in the books, but hey. This is my story. If you guys really hate it though, I can take it down. I guess. Oh by the way, Happy End of the World! Thanks for reading, please review!**

**The story idea belongs to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**

**I'm really sorry guys. This would have gone up sooner, on Friday as promised, but my Beta Reader and I have been busy and going through some stuff. Thank you so much for all of your support and patience. I will definitely write tomorrow, but I'm not sure I'll have enough time to write a full chapter. Merry Christmas guys! Happy New Year. **

**This chapter is dedicated in Matrim's memory.**


	8. Tigerheart

Chapter 8

It was barely Sunhigh but already Dewpaw had checked the elders for ticks, changed their bedding and fetched them freshkill from the pile. She slumped back into the medicine cat's den, and saw Leafpool going over their storage of medicines.

Dewpaw bounded over to help. She felt a flash of relief at the sight of Leafpool's scar. Since meeting the other Medicine cats at the Moonpool a quarter moon ago, it had healed completely and Leafpool was all better.

"We'll need to get more marigold and cobwebs. We used almost all of it when the badger attacked." Leafpool meowed. Dewpaw could see she was right. There was only a few leaves left and no cobwebs.

"What's that?" She gestured toward a pile of large, fuzzy green leaves.

"That's mallow, it soothes bellyaches. But these are past their best; we'll have to gather more." Leafpool mewed. She looked around at the den. "Help me put the herbs back and then we'll got get some fresh mallow and cobwebs and marigold. And looks like we need more tansy. That's good for coughs and preventing greencough."

Dewpaw hurriedly back storing the herbs in the back of the den, eager to get out of camp. "Careful! The herbs are delicate; handle them gently, or they'll lose their healing juices." The apprentice gave her mentor a rueful glance before handling the leaves, roots, and other herbs more carefully. Of course, that had been one of the first things Leafpool had told her and Dewpaw should have known better.

"After we get back, I want you to have a nap. You've worked hard and you're going to want to be well rested for the Gathering tonight." Leafpool added. Dewpaw's heart danced at those words. _The Gathering! My first Gathering! That will be so great!_

"Can I have something to eat before we go?" Dewpaw's belly was growling like a monster. Leafpool nodded and both cats gulped down a piece of freshkill before leaving.

The passed a border patrol on the way out of camp. On it was Rowanclaw, Dawnpelt, Olivenose and Mistpaw. The gray she-cat nodded to her sister in greeting but couldn't stop to chat. Sometimes, Dewpaw missed being a kit. It was easier to spend more time with her sister and brother.

"Tansy is best gathered by Twoleg nests, but not inside them like Catmint." Leafpool told her as they traveled through the forest. Dewpaw nodded.

The two cats picked up the Marigold by the stream that marked the Thunderclan border. Dewpaw looked for any change in Leafpool but there was none. Didn't Leafpool miss her family at all? She didn't appear to have any regrets about leaving her birthclan. They finished with the marigold and headed to the abandoned Twoleg nest further upstream.

The apprentice was surprised to smell Tigerheart's scent, following the same path they were taking. And was that Thunderclan scent too? The smells puzzled the young cat. _What would they be doing up here? Dose Leafpool smell it too? _Dewpaw wondered if she should bring it up to Leafpool, but her mentor appeared to have her mind on other things.

Her mentor didn't comment on the scents, burying her head into weeds instead. Dewpaw helped her to clear them away so they could take the tansy. Hesitantly she asked, "C-can you smell that?"

Leafpool's eyes were blank and she shook her head. _Maybe the tansy scent covers it up. But then why didn't she smell it on the way here? _ Yet as they left the nest, Dewpaw could still smell Tigerheart's presence. It was strong, overwhelming her senses, suggesting he had been here several times. The Thunderclan scent was just as strong, but it was only one individual scent. So the same warrior must have been coming here as often as Tigerheart. Dewpaw didn't think it was a coincidence.

Her first impulse was to go straight to Blackstar. She still remembered the story Kinfur told her and her littermates about the battle with Thunderclan. Russetfur had been killed and Firestar had lost a life. Dewpaw had been born after Russetfur went to Starclan, yet she knew how sad her death had been and what a wonderful warrior she was.

But something stopped her. Tigerheart had become one of her friends since she had to treat his dislocated shoulder and check on him every day. She didn't want to get him in trouble when it appeared that he arranged to the meet the Thunderclan cat. _Maybe I should ask him first. Then I'll know if Thunderclan is planning something._

She helped put away the marigold and tansy and prepared to go out again for the cobwebs. "Why don't you take your nap now? I can get the cobwebs now. They are so common, they're practically everywhere. You shouldn't need me to show you where they are if you need them."

Dewpaw shook her head. "I'm fine. Can I go with you? Please, I want to."

Leafpool finally relented and led her apprentice back into the forest. As she said, the cobwebs were really easy to find. There was a fallen tree a little ways from the camp that was full of them.

The two she-cats put the cobwebs away quickly. "I want to talk to Blackstar about what he will say about my being your mentor at the Gathering. You should rest now."

The apprentice waited for the sound of Leafpool's pawsteps to fade before she dared to get up. Cautiously she peered out of the den. Leafpool called a greeting before disappearing into his den. _Please let Tigerheart be in camp! _It would be too risky to search the forest for him. Perhaps Starclan was on her side because he pushed through the brambles with Ratscar, Toadfoot and Crowfrost. Between them, they only found two frogs and a squirrel.

They placed their prey on the pile which wasn't as full as it used to, a sign that Leafbare was nearly upon them. Dewpaw huffed impatiently as they stood around talking. She had wanted to catch him by himself, but it looked like she would have to get him by himself. She needed to make an excuse. It took her only seconds to think of one.

Bounding up to him, she meowed, "Tigherheart? I need to check your shoulder." _Please don't mention this to Leafpool! Please don't be suspicious! _

"Okay." He followed her back to her den and sat inside. The gray she-cat pretended to check him, knowing very well it was already healed.

"It looks fine. Does it hurt at all?" She meowed. Tigerheart shook his head just as she expected. _How am I supposed to bring this up? 'By the way Tigerheart are you a traitor?' No way!_ "Tigerheart, wait." She said as he was getting up to leave.

He turned to her. "Yes?"

"Do you like hunting at the abandoned twoleg nest?" She blurted out. Tigerheart look at her curiously, but she could see the fear in his eyes.

"Why do you ask?" He said, appearing to stall for time.

"Why didn't you answer the question?" Dewpaw asked. Tigerheart started to speak, but the last thing Dewpaw wanted was to hear her friend tell a lie. She spoke before he could. "I smelled your scent at the nest when I was gathering herbs with Leafpool. It seemed like you've been there a lot. Which means you would have also smelled the Thunderclan scent there as well."

Tigerheart's expression turned guilty. Dewpaw continued, "Have you told Blackstar Thunderclan has been invading our territory?"

"Dewpaw… I… I have been…meeting… Dovepaw there. We've… seeing each other there…at night. I…um… I love…her. They…aren't planning an invasion"

Dewpaw just stared at him. She had guessed that he had been meeting a Thunderclan cat there, but to hear him saying he loved Dovepaw was a real shock.

"And if you tell Blackstar," He sounded more forceful, "I'll run away with her. Like Leafpool and Crowfeather, but we won't come back."

Quickly she meowed, "I wasn't going to say anything to anyone. Leafpool didn't even notice your scent." He looked at her doubtfully. The apprentice added, "I promise you can trust me."

Tigerheart nodded. "I'm glad I told someone. I was feeling guilty for breaking the code and keeping secrets but Dovepaw…. She's…" He looked to be at a loss for words.

"I'm sure she's very nice." Dewpaw filled in. "Can I meet her at the Gathering?" The gray she-cat asked unexpectedly.

"Ahhhh…well…I..awh..Sure." He stuttered out. "Is that all?"

"Yeah. Unless you've been meeting any Riverclan cats?" The medicine cat teased. Tigerheart just shook his head, not in the mood for jokes. He left the den swiftly, casting glances over his shoulder at her, as though he didn't believe she would keep his secret.

Dewpaw curled back into her nest but didn't close her eyes. Her weariness was gone, her thoughts spinning with Tigerheart's secret.

**A/N: Merry Christmas! Hope you guys had great day!**

**First I need to apologize. I know at the beginning of break I said I'd write a chapter a day. Obviously, that hasn't happened. And I realized why yesterday. My world doesn't revolve around this story like I thought it would. Sometimes I'm busy or I'm tired or I don't have Ideas. Instead of having a lot of average chapters, it's better to have half as many, quality chapters. I'm sorry. And this would have been up sooner but Russel Scottie has and I have been busy.**

**Thank you to Spottedfur (Who has been reviewing as a guest) for her enthusiasm, love for the story and support. **

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	9. Lonely Gathering

Chapter 9

Dewpaw yawned and stretched her limbs out one at a time. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as her thoughts turned to the Gathering. Eager to get going, she hurried out of the den and into the center of camp, where most of the warriors who were going were waiting. Standing beside Smokefoot and Owlclaw, she tried to find Tigerheart in the crowd.

Rowanclaw was standing besides Blackstar, who was murmuring in his ear. Rowanclaw nodded on occasion and whispered to the white leader in response. Shrewfoot, Redwillow and Crowfrost were sitting together, their eyes on the apprentices den. Dewpaw wondered what they were thinking. There he was! Her friend was standing with Dawnpelt, the cream she-cat looked furious. Tigerheart appeared to be trying to calm her down.

Starlingpaw emerged from the den and raced to stand beside Dewpaw. Dewpaw didn't know the ginger tom very well; sharing a den and working only with Leafpool didn't give her many chances to hang out with her other clanmates. But at this moment, Dewpaw wanted to talk to Tigerheart. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say, but it didn't matter now.

Sighing to herself, Dewpaw forced herself to listen to Starlingpaw talk about his training. She made all the right admiring comments, but secretly felt him to be too arrogant. When her littermates joined her, she breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Blackstar flicked his tail and led his clan out of camp and through Riverclan land. Dewpaw kneaded the ground with anxious paws, her tail flickering back and forth. Mistpaw gave her sister a nudge. "Calm down!" her sister growled. The medicine cat apprentice recognized her sister's teasing growl, noting her eyes shone with lightheartedness.

She pushed her back, meowing, "Like you aren't excited!"

Sparrowpaw joined in, "She was pacing in the den! Even an order from Blackstar wouldn't have calmed her down!" The three littermates shared a laugh.

"Dewpaw!" Leafpool's voice interrupted the three littermates. With a last glance to her sister and brother, she hurried to her mentor's side. "The tree is slippery; keep your claws in the trunk. Be careful."

The apprentice nodded and unsheathed her claws. She jumped up and secured her footing. Like a squirrel, she crossed the tree. She looked like a pro, almost graceful in her movements. Hearing all the voices and having unfamiliar scents crawl up her nose made her lose focus. She quicken her movements.

With no warning, her left hind paw slipped. Terror pulsed through her veins, chilling her blood. She yowled as her body hit the black water, trying to sink her into its depths. The lake was laying a claim to her life. She coughed out water, spitting as she tried to keep her head above the water. Her paws churned the water, paddling to stay afloat.

Her clanmates were yelling, her littermates crying her name. Leafpool dashed along the trunk, and stood on the edge of the island, eyes wide with fear. Kinkfur's voice stood out from all the others. _Mother, help me! Somebody please! _ She felt teeth grasp her scruff. For a moment, both she and the mystery cat floundered in the water. Then she felt the cat brace themself and haul them both out.

She stood with her cheek pressed to the ground, her soaked fur waving wildly from the trembling of her body. Dewpaw finally looked up at her savior. It was a small, brown she cat with short legs. The water had washed away any scent of her. Or had it made it stronger? The young cat's clanmates clustered around her, brushing their pelts against hers. Leafpool rubbed her fiercely, curling her tail around the soaked cat.

Dewpaw kept her eyes on the brown cat. "Tha-Thank you." The brown she-cat smiled.

"No problem. I couldn't just let you drown. I'm Rushtail, from Riverclan." Her voice was pleasant, like the sun after a long rain.

"I'm Dewpaw. Shadowclan. This is my first Gathering."

"Don't worry, the tree crossing gets easier with practice. You'll get used to it."

"Dewpaw!" The apprentice turned to see her mother jumped down from the tree and smother her daughter with licks. Leafpool took a step back. Rushtail let out a chuckle and bid the Shadowclan cats goodnight. Leafpool called after her.

"Thank you very much for saving my apprentice. It would have been tragic if we lost her to lake, like Flametail." Kinfur paused in Dewpaw's groomed to add her gratitude to Leafpool's. Rushtail nodded but looked to be thinking about something else. She turned back to Leafpool but another cat was calling her name. Dipping her head, she spun off in the direction of the voice.

The rest of Shadowclan crossed over to the island without problems. As soon as her littermates were over, they raced to Dewpaw. She shook off their concerns, and together they headed for the meeting place. Riverclan was there already, exchanging news and gossip with the Windclan cats. Shadowclan broke ranks and mingled with the other cats. Dewpaw kept one eye on Tigerheart, excited to meet Dovepaw.

The medicine cat apprentice really wanted a new friend. She had her littermates and they were awesome but deep down she felt lonely. She knew Mistpaw and Sparrowpaw had a stronger bond with each other than with her, but only cause they spent more time together. Dewpaw wanted to have someone to be close to. She glanced at her littermates.

They were playing with the other warrior apprentices. Leafpool came to stand beside her. "I used to feel lonely too. But I remembered how much they needed me. That helped. And I was always close with Spottedleaf and our other ancestors. Our warrior ancestors can be our friends." Dewpaw felt better.

Anyway, she couldn't be close to Dovepaw. She was Thunderclan, and Dewpaw guessed Tigerheart would always be her closet friend. Maybe Mossheart would be the cat Dewpaw fell close to. After all, Leafpool was close to her guardian Spottedleaf.

Thunderclan was just crossing the bridge. When the last cat was over, she saw Tigerheart walk up to a gray she-cat with pale blue eyes. _Dovepaw? _It would make sense if she was. The two of them discreetly slipped away.

Onestar let out a yowl and the cats turned to look at their leaders. Dewpaw joined her mentor at the base of the tree. Onestar waited for silence before meowing, "Prey is running well in spite of the cold weather. And Wiskernose has been made a warrior. The clans cheered him, calling his new name. The light brown tom dipped his head, his eyes brimming with pleasure and embarrassment.

Blackstar stood up. "Our medicine cat, Littlecloud had a brief attack of Whitecough, but he is as strong as ever and so is Shadowclan. We have three new apprentices: Sparrowpaw, Mistpaw and Dewpaw." The gray she-cat dipped her head as all four clans called her name, yet most of them broke off and stared at her. Expressions ranged from hostility to confusion. Dewpaw knew why.

Blackstar spoke slowly, carefully. "Littlecloud is not well enough to train Dewpaw. He requested Leafpool to mentor her, to which Leafpool accepted."

Challenging meows broke out, but Blackstar didn't respond. He simply sat back and gave Mistystar a nod. The Riverclan leader spoke quietly. "Riverclan is happy to see the ice gone from the lake. It is good to catch fish again. And our clan has welcomed two warriors this past moon: Rushtail and Troutstream." The clans' hostility faded into welcome as Mistystar's confident and friendly manner soothed them. Dewpaw was surprised to hear Rushtail was a new warrior.

"Also, a badger was seen in our territory, but Reedwhisker tracked it with Robinwing and Petalfur until it went away." The Windclan deputy asked if they would need to watch for it but Mistystar assured her it went out past the Horseplace, heading for the hills. "If I had thought there danger, I would have sent a message." The Riverclan leader added politely. Mistystar sat back down on her branch and Waved her to tail to Firestar, inviting him to speak.

"Thunderclan has good news too. Two sunrises ago, I named two warriors: Dovewing and Ivypool." _Dove_wing_? Tigerheart must not have seen her after her warrior's assement._ The clearing erupted into cheers. A brown she-cat with tabby markings asked about Ivypool. Dewpaw guessed that Ivypool was Dovewing's sister. Firestar said that she had gotten hurt hunting in a patch of brambles. "She'll be here for the next Gathering." The ginger tom finished.

The leaders jumped down from the tree. With the formal part of the meeting over, the cats began to merge again. Leafpool gave Dewpaw a lick before going to find Squirrelflight. The apprentice just stood around awkwardly, not knowing what to do. A paw prodded her. She turned around to see Dovewing looking at her. "Hi."

"Hello" Dovewing greeted her, "Tigerheart said you wanted to meet me. He told me you two were friends and he told you we were too." The Shadowclan cat nodded.

"Um, congratulations on becoming a warrior." The apprentice said. Dovewing purred and thanked her.

"How is Leafpool? I saw she had a new scar." Dovewing asked. Dewpaw could see she was concerned about her old clanmate. It was nice to know some of her birthclan cared about her.

"She's fine. We were attacked by a Badger, but Tigerheart helped to drive it away, with Shrewfoot."

Dovewing looked like she was going to say more, but a gray tom with thick black stripes called her over. The gray she-cat rolled her eyes and said good bye to Dewpaw. The apprentice decided she like Tigerheart's mate. _She's nice._ She heard a dark tabby calling for Thunderclan to leave. _ That must be Brambleclaw._ She knew him from Leafpool's descriptions. Shadowclan was going home too. The Gathering was over; Dewpaw couldn't remember being so tired. The combination of a long day, her struggles in the water and a late night had weariness pulling at her muscles. _I could sleep for a moon. _

**A/N: Hey everyone! Feels good to write again. You should all thank Spottedfur for this, because he/she's review inspired it. They really like this story and I don't like disappointing people. Longest chapter ever! 1,673 words! And you guys deserve it since I hardly update now. Sorry about that. At least you'll get another one again this weekend. Happy MLK Day!**

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	10. Helpless

**A/N: This is a reply to Spottedfur, who asked 2 questions in her review of the previous chapter. Since she doesn't have an account this is the only way I can answer her questions. 1. Yes. Fanfiction doesn't charge anything at all to sign up, have an account or publish stories. It is completely free.  
2. If the email you chose to use is your parent's email or an email all three of you share, then yes. After you register, you will be sent an activation link via email. After that, the only email you will get from fanfiction are when someone reviews/favorite your story or you as an author. Also, if you chose to follow a story/author, you will get an email when they post new stories or chapters. **

**On with the Chapter!**

Chapter 10

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone in a clear blue sky, the air filled with sweet birdsong. The leaves sparkled, the flowers shining radiantly as the sun. It must have rained during the night. Dewpaw took a deep breath. The forest smelled sweeter than usual. She tried picking her way through the forest, knowing they were short of oak leaves. She came to an abrupt stop when she realized she had no clue where she was.

Trying not to panic, she tossed her head around. There was no sign of the accustomed landmarks that told her she was in Shadowclan. In the distance, she spotted a dark tortoiseshell she-cat coming toward her. There was something familiar in her graceful walk, in her pale yellow eyes that blinked with a soft intelligence. The glossy pelt that swirled with the stars as she padded closer still was the last clue Dewpaw needed.

"Mossheart!" She called, surprised at how glad she was to see her guardian._ I'm in Starclan!_

"Dewpaw. It is good to see you once more." Her gentle voice welcomed Dewpaw warmly. The older cat leaned down to give Dewpaw a lick. "Yet I wish I could have met you in a happier time." Mossheart's good mood seemed to disappear, as though she just remembered why she needed to see Dewpaw. Her worried tone didn't seem to belong in such a wonderful, beautiful place.

"I have come to share knowledge of your brother with you." Mossheart meowed. Suddenly Dewpaw recalled the sad look Sparrowpaw had after they had finished eating a half moon ago. Did Mossheart know what was wrong with her brother? "I know he has been troubled recently. He has a lot of inner conflict. Sparrowpaw simply doesn't know who to believe."

"What can I do? What is his trouble? Starclan knows I'll help him through anything! I'll always love him, no matter what." Dewpaw mewed. The medicine cat apprentice was worried now. Whatever she had to do for her brother, she would.

"I can't tell you. It is not my place. But I know that Sparrowpaw is ready to talk to you now. You need to listen and be gentle with him. He'll need all of your love now." Mossheart said, "Just remember no cat is prefect and some cats will take advantages of that. There is so much more you have yet to experience."

Dewpaw nodded seriously, drinking in all of her guardian's words. "Thank you."

"You are welcome Dewpaw. I know you can help him through this. Until next time." The Starclan cat brushed her muzzle against the Shadowclan's before disappearing in the mist that suddenly appeared. Dewpaw blinked and found herself back in her nest in the Medicine cat's den.

Leafpool was already awake, going through their stores of herbs. Dewpaw scrambled out of her nest and the den. Leafpool called after her, but Dewpaw chose not to hear her mentor as her gaze traveled across the camp. It was almost Sunhigh; the patrols had already been sent out. The apprentice pushed her way through the brambles that shielded the camp.

_Where is he? _The dark gray she-cat parted her jaws so she could chase down his scent trail. She followed it to where Sparrowpaw was battle training with Olivenose. _Oh great! How can I talk to him now? And Mossheart said he was ready now. _Peering closer at her brother, she suddenly saw him in a new light. He was tired; the ginger tom's eyes were hardly open, his ungroomed, dull fur just hanging to him. His battle moves showed he had little strength.

_Doesn't Olivenose see this? Why is she making him train? _"Olivenose, can I go hunting now?" Even his mew was dull, flat. The warrior studied her apprentice, thinking. At last she nodded.

"Be back before Sundown, I want you to get some rest. You look exhausted." _She noticed it too. _ She watched as her brother nodded to the warrior and dash off in the direction of the Twoleg path._ Here's my chance! _ She hurried forward, moving in a perpendicular path so she would intercept him.

"Sparrowpaw!" she yowled. She raised her voice to call out again when she ran right into him. They fell to the ground in a whirling heap of fur and limbs. "Sorry." The she-cat meowed embarrassedly. Her brother just nodded his mind clearly on his troubles.

"Dewpaw, I've just been so…lost. I don't know what to do. Please help me." He turned his gaze, desperation and fright mingling around his irises, onto her. Dewpaw waited for him to explain himself, keeping in mind what Mossheart had told her.

"The night of our apprentice ceremony, I had a dream. I find myself in a strange forest. It was really dark there. There was no moon, and it was eerily quiet. I could smell that they were a lot of cats that lived there. Some of the smells were kinda familiar, like they could be clan cats. This gray tabby spoke to me. He said his name was Silverhawk. He offered to help me train, so I could get better. Since I became an apprentice, he's shown up in all my dreams, showing me battle moves. It all seems so real, it couldn't possibly be a dream."

"Then last night, he took me to meet some other cats. They were really scary. There was a dark tabby that looked like Brambleclaw, of Thunderclan and a tortoiseshell cat that looked invisible and another tabby tom like Brambleclaw but with ice blue eyes and a silver and back tom and they all had these awful battle scars!"

" Then Silverhawk had me watch the way they train their apprentices. Only their apprentices were other clan cats! Ivypaw was there and Beetlewhisker and Antpelt and Blossomefall and Mousewhisker and Birchfall. Even… Even…" Sparrowpaw broke off, unwilling to continue with the list of names. Dewpaw wondered who he was reluctant to name. Sparrowpaw spoke up before Dewpaw could ask. "They moves they used were so violent! When they were done, they wanted me to fight like that!"

He stopped speaking, looking uncertainly at his sister. Dewpaw struggled to find the words to say. _The Dark forest! How could this have happened! _At last Dewpaw said gently, "And what did you do?"

"I-I was scared. I told Silverhawk I had to wake up back in my clan cause it was time to go. He hissed at me. I knew he was mad but he let me go. Not unscratched though." Sparrowpaw whispered. Dewpaw stared at him, frightened. For the first time she noticed the claw marks across his stomach.

"Oh Sparrowpaw!" She mewed. She ran her tail lightly across his shoulder, trying comfort him. Sprarrowpaw laid his head on her shoulder, and she wrapped her tail around him in a hug.

"I don't want to go back! I don't want anything to do with the Dark Forest! Silverhawk swore me to secrecy but I just felt so awful about it and scared of what they would do to me tonight."

Dewpaw thought for a moment. She hadn't any clue how to help him. _Maybe I should visit the Moonpool; Mossheart might know. But wouldn't she have already told me? _"When you go to sleep, do you do anything differently than you did before you started going to the Dark Forest?"

"Um… no. I don't know why I woke up there the first time." Sparrowpaw meowed.

"Well maybe tonight before you fall asleep, try thinking of some that make you feel safe and happy?" Dewpaw was painfully aware of how little she could do for her brother and felt terrible. "I wish I could help you more.

"Your support means more to me than you'll know." But the troubled look hadn't left his eyes.

"There you are!" The apprentices turned around in shock when they heard Leafpool's voice. "I have been looking everywhere for you! Why did you run off like that? Do you know how much work we have to do?" Leafpool's voice shook with anger. "Come on back to camp now."

Dewpaw could do nothing more than giver Sparrowpaw a lick before following her mentor through the forest. "We need to get some more coltsfoot. One of Ivytail's kits have kitten cough." The she-cat had kitted three moons ago. Leafpool led Dewpaw toward the lake, saying how it was found in the wettest parts of the territory. Dewpaw helped her to gather some, but her mind was still with Sparrowpaw. _What else can I do for him?_

They trudged back to camp in silence. Much as Dewpaw wanted to confide in Leafpool and ask for advice, she knew she could never reveal her brother's secret. She chewed the leaves into a pulp and walked across camp to where the nursery was. She pushed her way through the entrance and laid the herbs in front of Ivytail.

"Oh thank you, Dewpaw. I was getting a little worried about Galekit and Poolkit. Is Kittencough contagious?" The queen gazed down at her three kits. Aspenkit looked tired, as though his coughing had kept him awake during the night. His brothers, Galekit and Poolkit were sleeping. All three of their pelts, Aspenkit's a dark gray, Poolkit's a light gray and Galekit's tortioshell, looked to be freshly groomed.

"No. Why don't you give him the pulp and I'll bring you a few poppy seeds so he could sleep better?" The queen nodded gratefully and gave him the pulp as Dewpaw left. The tiny kit meowed in compliant but swallowed down the herbs with another cough. The apprentice returned on three legs, the other one containing two poppy seeds on her paw. She gave them to Aspenkit, who lapped them up and went right to sleep.

"Thank you again, Dewpaw." The queen meowed. Dewpaw nodded and left the den. She quickly gulped down a lizard and told Leafpool she was going to look for Oak leaves.

As she walked through the forest, her brain was busy thinking of ways to help Sparrowpaw. She had gathered the leaves and placed them alongside the other medicine in the den and still nothing came to mind. It was halfway to Sunhigh. She would still have time to go to the Moonpool if she left now.

"Leafpool, can I go to the Moonpool?"

**A/N: Cliffhangers! This isn't my favorite chapter, too much dialogue for my liking, but it is necessary. How many of you were surprised to hear Sparrowpaw was training in the Darkforest? I wasn't sure where to stop it, I hope I got it right. Please tell me what you think! I LOVE Reveiws. Thank you for reading. **


	11. Worries

Chapter 11

"Why do you need to go to the Moonpool? What trouble are you having?" Leafpool asked, concerned clouding her gaze. Now that she got a good look at Dewpaw, her apprentice looked really worried. Why hadn't she noticed before? _I should have been paying more attention. Maybe she was doing something important in the forest, when I found her with Sparrowpaw. _

"I… um… well I can't tell you. But it's not fake." Dewpaw mumbled. Leafpool, for all her worries, knew that sending her apprentice to the Moonpool alone wasn't possible. There were too many things that could go wrong. And the both of them going wouldn't be any easier. They had too many responsibilities.

"I'm sorry, Dewpaw. I can't send you now. We have too much to do. We need to keep an eye on Aspenkit and restock our supplies for Leafbare." The older cat reached down to give Dewpaw a comforting lick. "I'll help you anyway I can. I wish there was some way you could go. I hate seeing you so upset." Leafpool added.

"All right." The young cat looked dejected but she returned Leafpool's affection by brushing her muzzle along her mentor's cheek.

"Leafpool!" Snowbird called, rushing into the den. "Littlecloud's coughing and he's got a fever. Wheezing too!" Leafpool dashed out of the den with the white warrior to examine the old tom, leaving Dewpaw to scramble after the two cats.

Leafpool pushed through the elder's den and glanced around before noticing Littlecloud in the corner. She padded up to him, leaving Snowbird to stand in the entrance. The other elders, Ceaderheart, Tallpoppy, Snaketail, and Whitewater, backed away to give Leafpool more room. _Whitecough. I should have known, him not being as strong as he was. How will he fight the infection?_

Dewpaw bounded in and huddled beside her mentor, casting confused glances at the old medicine cat. "What's wrong with him?"

"He shows all the symptoms of whitecough. He's been so sick recently; his immune system couldn't fight it off. He'll need to be supervised round the clock." The tabby she-cat whispered back. "Snowbird, will you help us carry him to my den?" She added louder.

The warrior nodded and together they lifted the sleeping tom and carried him across the camp to the den. Dewpaw made him a nest using their store of moss and the three cats settled him in it. "I'll give him some catmint when he wakes up." Dewpaw promised. Leafpool thanked her and went to check the other elders for any signs of the illness. Dewpaw called her back. "He'll be ok, won't he Leafpool?" She asked anxiously.

Gazing at her old friend, she said somberly, "I don't know Dewpaw. I just don't know."

The sun had only just set when Littlecloud awoke. For a moment, it seemed he was unsure where he was. Then he blinked and recognition returned to his pupils. Dewpaw stood at his side, watching over him. When he turned to look at her, the apprentice gave him a small smile. "Here, eat this and get as much rest as possible. Then you'll feel better and…"

Littlecloud interrupted her. "I know what I have is Greencough, Dewpaw. Only the strongest can pull through." His voice, though soothing and gentle, sounded as though he had given up all hope.

"You will pull through, Littlecloud. You're going to be just fine. Eat your herbs." Leafpool said as she stepped out of the herb store. The tom sighed and lapped up the herbs Dewpaw had pushed toward him. Leafpool knew her words had done anything to change his outlook.

Littlecloud fell back into a deep slumber, motionless except for the faint rise and fall of his chest. "May I go see Sparrowpaw? Please Leafpool!" Dewpaw begged. Anxiety welled up in Dewpaw again as she spoke of her brother.

"Of course, Dewpaw. I'll watch over Littlecloud." Her mentor meowed. Dewpaw turned tail and left.

A moon pasted quickly. Leafpool and Dewpaw's problems kept stacking up. The night Littlecloud was diagnosed with the disease, Mistpaw had succumbed to it. Dewpaw guessed it was because she had been changing the elders' bedding. Applefur had it too, probably catching it from her apprentice. And Sparrowpaw had need urgent attention for the deep puncture wounds that had showed up on his flank mysteriously. Littlecloud was worse, his Whitecough turned into Greencough as he had predicted.

With all of that to contend with, Leafpool felt bone tired. She ran herself thin, caring for her clanmates and stifling her own coughs. Dewpaw could see it was taking a toll on her. "Leafpool, you're so tired. Why don't you rest a bit? I'll watch over our cats. What'll happen to the clan if you fall ill?" An enormous yawn stopped Leafpool's protest. Nodding grateful, she sank into her nest for a long and desperately-needed sleep.

Dewpaw couldn't seem to feel anything but worry, like she forgotten how to smile and be happy. Prey was scarce now too, as if Shadowclan need another problem to worry about. Dewpaw knew Leafpool was giving up her share of freshkill to the sick cats. At least they had plenty of catmint.

"Dewpaw! Redwillow's coughing!" Ratscar called. Dewpaw took a deep breath and grabbed some catmint. She met the two toms in the clearing. She checked to see if he had Greencough symptoms, hoping it was just a cold. When she felt the waves of heat pulsing from him, she knew it had to be Greencough. She fed him the catmint and with Ratscar's help, guided him to the den.

After he was settled, Dewpaw went out to collect more moss and catmint for their stores. She hurried through the forest, not wanting be away from the clan for long. She returned swiftly and, as she was pitting away the supplies, she heard pawsteps coming into the den.

It was Ivytail. "You too?" The apprentice asked as she ducked out of the store. The queen nodded but a fit of coughing gave Dewpaw more conformation. The gray cat gave her a full examination and a dose of catmint. While she made her newest patient a nest, Ivytail asked, "Will you check my kits? I'm worried they may have caught it, especially Aspenkit."

"Yes. Then I'll ask Tawnypelt to care for them. They're eating freshkill now aren't they?" Ivytail nodded. Dewpaw continued. "Good that'll help. Here, your nest is ready. I'll check the kits and get back to you."  
She slid into the nursery, ducking to avoid the prickly branched that made up and protected the den. The kits were curled up together in their nest. They seemed alright. Dewpaw walked forward to them. Galekit and Poolkit were asleep, snoring in harmony. Their dreams seemed peaceful and undisturbed.

Aspenkit didn't appear to have as nice of a dream as his littermates. He thrashed around, flailing his legs around as though he was running from something. He seemed warm, but there wasn't any coughing at least. Still, better safe than sorry Dewpaw decided. Especially with a kit. Quietly she carried him to the medicine cat's den.

When Ivytail saw her kit being carried into the den, she let out a shriek. "He's sick! Oh Starclan!"

The kit yawned and blinked open his little eyes. "Ivytail! I…" The kit broke off what he was saying to cough.

"Ivytail, calm down. Aspenkit is a little feverish, but he doesn't have the sickness yet. But I want to keep a close watch on him."

"Why bring him in here then!? He's sure to come down with it!" The mother snapped.

"I don't want any of the other kits to pick anything up from him. Plus it would be easier to keep an eye on him. This is our only option."

The queen conceded with poor grace. Dewpaw settled little Aspenkit into Ivytail's nest and went to find Tawnypelt."Rowanclaw, did you send tawnypelt on patrol? Do you know where she is?" the apprentice asked as soon as she found him in the clearing.

The deputy nodded. "I sent her hunting with Smokefoot and Crowfrost, by the Riverclan border." A wave of relief washed over Dewpaw as she heard his voice; it was strong and sure. The deputy had been spared from sickness so far. There was no coughing to interrupt what he was saying and no heat pulsing from him.

Thanking him, the she-cat ran out of camp and toward the border. "Tawnypelt!" she yowled. The warrior straightened out of her hunting crouch, flicking her ears irritably. The mouse she had been stalking had fled when it heard Dewpaw yelling.

"Dewpaw! You make more noise than a fox in a fit! Can't you see I was hunting? It's leafbare and half the clan is sick…" The tortoiseshell she-cat snapped, but Dewpaw cut her off.

"Ivytail has greencough. Aspenkit is feeling feverish, so he's staying with her. But someone needs to look after Galekit and Poolkit." The apprentice explained.

"Awh, the poor little kit. Of course I'll help. Let's go!" Her tone softened completely and she turned to look at Smokefoot, who had been listening intently. There was no sign of Crowfrost; he must be tracking prey through the undergrowth. "Will you carry my catch back? I should go with Dewpaw now."

The black tom nodded and the two-she cats returned to camp. Tawnypelt immediately vanished into the nursery while Dewpaw trudged to her den. She held back a yawn as she examined the six cats in her care. Noting that Leafpool was not in her nest, she started to leave with the intentions of finding here.

Leafpool came sweeping into their shared den, her usually calm expression gone. Dewpaw gazed at her questionably. "Blackstar caught it. Greencough."

**A/N: Hey people! So good to be writing again! I hope this chapter was alright. I wrote it over the course of three days, so if there are any inconstancy errors, I'd like to know. I was going to have this chapter be all of Dewpaw's POV but so many of you wanted Leafpool back. So I sorta split it. I've never writtenanything really about cats getting sick, so this took longer than expected. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it.**

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	12. Omens

Chapter 12

"How can we fight this sickness? Shadowclan is getter weaker! Blackstar, who always seemed so strong, is fighting to just breathe!" Dewpaw wailed.

"Dewpaw, my young friend, calm down. Shadowclan will always be strong. Strength isn't about being healthy all the time, but about how you overcome, how you solve problems like this. Shadowclan will always overcome struggles and then you will always be stronger for it." The brown she-cat murmured softly.

"Thank you, Mossheart." The apprentice nodded to her guardian. Mossheart blinked at her and spoke again. Her melody of a voice was a high soprano today, like it always was when she was nervous.

"To fight this sickness you and Leafpool must be as protective as a first time mother. Always keep an eye on your cats. Give them herbs to swallow twice a day and keep their stomachs full and hydrated."

"It's been almost two moons. We're down to our last scraps of catmint and there isn't any more we can collect. Leafpool's working so hard. I'm just as worried about her as I am with the sick cats. She hasn't caught it yet, but she's bound to. She's already coughing." Dewpaw meowed. Her beautiful eyes were shadowed with worry.

"You'll find a way. I know you will. And Leafpool will be fine."

Dewpaw sat up abruptly. She hadn't meant to fall asleep and yet here she was waking up in her nest. She scrambled up guiltily and swept her eyes across the den. It was almost bursting at the seams with nine patients and the two medicine cats; it was probably a good idea they were all moving to Blackstar's den. The leader's den was larger than the medicine cats' den.

The clan now had nine sick cats: Littlecloud, Mistpaw, Applefur, Redwillow, Ivytail, Aspenkit, Blackstar, Dawnpelt, and Toadfoot. Dawnpelt had succumbed to it almost a moon ago, and Toadfoot had fallen ill more recently, a quarter moon ago.

"Will you go get some moss, Dewpaw? I want everyone to have a new nest after we move them to Blackstar's den." Dewpaw nodded and sped off. She nearly collided with Sparrowpaw, who was just returning from a hunt.

"How was your hunting?" She asked him. He simply nodded absently. "I'm just off to get some moss."

"I'll help you. Let me just put this prey down." Quickly, her brother set the shrew down with a plop and rejoined Dewpaw. She was relieved to see his puncture wounds were all better. They had left a scar, but that wasn't anything new.

"Sparrowpaw…are things in the dark forest… better?" The medicine cat apprentice asked when they were deep in the forest.

"Yeah, some. I've gotten better at it, so I don't get hurt as much." He was guarded, seeming to choose each word carefully before saying it. Dewpaw knew she wouldn't get any more out of him and changed the subject.

Back at camp, Leafpool was preparing for the den move. She gave everyone strengthening herbs and then moved all the medicine into Blackstar's den. Everything was all set up when Dewpaw got back with her brother. "Bring it in here, please." Together, the three cats made nests for all the sick cats.

Blackstar's den was more spacious than the medicine den and stronger too. The den would also be easier to sleep in during the day as it was kept shadier by the ferns that grew around it.

The sickness seemed to be under control. No more cats were falling ill and the sick felines were getter stronger. Even with their catmint running low, Leafpool was feeling cautiously optimistic that everyone would pull through.

Sparrowpaw was called away for another hunting patrol. The medicine cats thanked him for his time and called out good-bye as he left camp with Owlclaw and Ferretclaw. "Should we give the sick cats some more medicine?" Dewpaw asked, turning to her mentor.

"What?" Leafpool meowed distractedly. Dewpaw repeated her question. "No. We'd better let them rest. They can have more tomorrow."

"Leafpool. Dewpaw." Two voices called, alerted the medicine cats. It was a familiar voice, even if it wasn't one of their clanmates.

"Spottedleaf. Mossheart. It is good to see you two again." The former Thunderclan cat responded. The two Guardians returned her greetings and said hello to Dewpaw.

"Hi. Is something wrong? Mossheart, I've never seen you outside of a dream before." The apprentice mewed.

"Nothing's wrong. Your clanmates will all recover. Prey will be plentiful again." Spottedleaf said.

"That's wonderful!" Exclaimed Dewpaw.

"But there will always be a threat to the clan. Sol will return. He will try once again to destroy the clans, turn them against each other. You must not fall under the snare to his charm. He is a darkness. Stay away from him. Let the Sun guide you, not the darkness." Mossheart warned. Spottedleaf nodded, her amber eyes unreadable.

Their ancestors bid them goodbye and Dewpaw turned to Leafpool. She had heard stories of Sol when she was a kit. She could hardly imagaine a cat who had so much knowledge, who knew the sun would vanish. "What do we do?"

"Whatever we have to do to protect the clan." Leafpool mewed grimly.

Another quarter moon passed. Leafpool had kept her senses alert for any signs of an attack but nothing had come up. Applefur, Mistpaw and Redwillow had been cured though. The others were well on the mend too. _I must count my blessings, be grateful for what I have. _Leafpool knew that things could have turned ugly.

"Oakfur will you take a hunting patrol out? And Tigerheart And Shrewfoot, you may take the boundary patrol out." Rowanclaw announced the duties for the day. Dewpaw noticed Tigerheart wasn't his usual happy self. Nothing had gone wrong in camp; had something happened between him and Thunderclan's newest warrior?

She bounded up to his side and murmured, "Everything ok with Dovewing? You look kinda down."

"She thinks I'm using her."His reply was bitter. Before she could say anymore, Tigerheart ran off with his patrol.

Dewpaw was left remembering the time when he had come back to camp with Rowanclaw and Owlclaw. The deputy had his jaws full of catmint. They used it to treat Littlecloud, who had a serve cough. Dewpaw still wondered where the catmint came from. Togerheart had retired to his nest early, as soon as he had gotten back. And he had a guilty look in his eyes. Tigerheart wasn't going to be sharing any information tonight though, especially when he was sad about Dovewing.

Heart aching for her unhappy friend, she trudged back to the den. "Can I have some water?" Ivytail whispered.

"Of course." Dewpaw wet some moss and set it in front of the warrior. She lapped it up quickly, then sighed and dozed back off to sleep beside her kit.

"Good news. Toadfoot went back to the warriors den. He's still weak but the sickness is gone and we don't need him hanging around in here, breathing in this air." Leafpool reported. Dewpaw forced herself to purr happily. _I should be happy some of our problems are being solved. But, oh poor Tigerheart. _

Within the next quarter moon, everyone got well enough to return to warrior's duties. Even Littlecloud had fought it off, something that had surprised Leafpool. Aspenkit had been excited to see his siblings after so long and Ivytail had been grateful to Twanypelt for looking after them.

"Dewpaw will you go get some poppy seeds and cobwebs?" Leafpool asked from inside the store. After all the cats were well again, they moved back into their den. Dewpaw nodded and headed into the forest.

She picked up speed, enjoying the feel of the grass beneath her paws, the wind blowing her fur, the scents dancing around her nose. The scents! She picked out a smell she had yet to encounter. She stopped dead in her tracks. She had never seen this creature beforebut knew right off what it was. She hissed at it, and it hissed back.

Without warning, the snake struck. It stuck its fangs deep into her shoulder and she yowled in pain.

**A/N: How that for an ending? Sorry if this chapter seems choppy. Feels that way to me, probably cause of how I wrote it. Anyway hope it was everything you guys looked forward to.I'm sorry for not updating so much. Life is getting in the way.I always feel guilty on a Sunday night if I haven't written. Believe or not this story is actually close enough to being finished, that I am planning the ending. **


	13. Complications

Chapter 13

"Bring her in here; I've made a nest for her." Leafpool meowed. Oakfur carefully settled the apprentice into the mossy bed. She made no sound, the only thing indicating her life was the faint rise and fall of her chest. Redwillow and Ratscar shifted back to give Leafpool room to examine her patient. Oakfur went to stand beside his clanmmates. "I can't find anything wrong with her. It's like nothing happened. She lost blood, but there isn't any poison in her system."

"My kit! Oh my Kit!" Kinkfur wailed. She barreled through the den, but Redwillow, Ratscar and Oakfur blocked her from running to Dewpaw's side. "What's happened!? I was on patrol and…"

Leafpool interrupted the frantic mother. "I sent her out looking for herbs and she was bitten by a snake. Oakfur, Redwillow and Ratscar were hunting when they heard her yowl and brought her back."

"Why haven't you given her any herbs yet? Do something! What kind of medicine cat are you?!" Kinkfur narrowed her eyes and snarled out the words.

"Calm down Kinkfur. Leafpool is a great medicine cat. She said there wasn't any poison in her system and she only lost a little blood. See? The wound's already stopped bleeding." Oakfur said, coming to Leafpool's defense. The medicine cat blinked her thanks to the warrior.

Kinkfur seem to listen to the brown tom more than she listened to Leafpool. She gave Leafpool a curt nod and stalked out of the den. "Thanks Oakfur."

He nodded at her and asked, "Is there any more we can do for you?" He gestured with his tail to Oakfur and Ratscar. Leafpool shook her head and thanked them as they left the den. Redwillow stopped at the entrance to the den and looked back at the medicine cat.

"Why isn't she waking up then, if she isn't in any danger of dying?" the warrior asked curiously.

"She is tired. She has been working really hard for the past four moons and her body needs time to rest and recover. She'll be awake soon, you'll see." He nodded and left Leafpool with her apprentice.

"This is so different than what happened with Honeyfern. But I'm going to make a difference this time. I have to." She meowed quietly to herself. She looked at Dewpaw again. She seemed to be in the middle of a horrible dream; her claws were unsheathed and slicing through the air as though she had encountered an enemy. Leafpool fed her a few poppy seeds to help her sleep and placed cobwebs over the puncture wound from the snake. Leafpool crouched beside her apprentice, fully prepeared to keep a vigil over her until Dewpaw woke.

Night covered the forest with a blanket of shadows. Leafpool yawned and her eyes drooped, but she could be just as stubborn as her sister when her mind was made up. She was happy she managed to stay awake the whole night and was there when the sun gave its daily dawn performance. She shook at her limbs and resumed her pose. Oakfur, Twanypelt and Dawnpelt passed her den on the way to the freshkill pile. Oakfur paused, looking at Leafpool with concern. He stepped into the den.

"Have you been awake…all night?" He asked.

Leafpool jumped, having not heard him enter the den. She regained her composure and answered him. "Yes. Yes I have." Her eyes swung to glare at him defiantly for a heartbeat and returned to Dewpaw.

"Well Leafpool there's nothing wrong with that. But also, there is nothing wrong with taking a break for some fresh-kill or rest." Oakfur told the worried cat gently.

"She was there for me after the badger had attacked. I will be her for her now."

"How about a compromise? Littlecloud has been feeling better; he could look after her while you have something to eat." The brown tom said persuasively, and at last Leafpool resented. She walked into the clearing with the tom and settled beside him. They shared a frog in silence and then shared tongues. "How about coming for a short walk with me? Then you can go back to Dewpaw." Leafpool agreed.

The two cats left camp. Leafpool was enjoying the sunshine on her fur, the falling of the leaves, and the warmth of the sun. She felt like rolling around in the grass, playing in the leaves. She was surprised and a little confused by these feelings; she hadn't played or even had a day off since she was an apprentice. And what happened to her worry over Dewpaw? It seemed as though the sun had shined it away.

"Leafpool, I wanted… I..ah wanted to talk to you." Oakfur said. Leafpool realized he was in a completely different world than she was. He sounded nervous, like he was about to take on the whole Riverclan single pawed. The brown cat didn't seem to notice the leaves or the sunshine, much less enjoy them.

"Yes. What's on your mind?" The medicine cat said gently. _He sounds so nervous, I hope I can reassure him, make him feel comfortable._

"Well… you. We're friends aren't we?"

"Yes, of course." Leafpool smiled at him, but he was staring at the ground. His question had puzzled her.

"And you like me?" He asked.

"Yes. That's what friends do. They like each other." She allowed a slightly teasing quality to enter her voice, hoping it would relax him. He stayed as tense as ever.

"Erm… Well I was hoping you'd spend more time with me. So I could know you better." The brown warrior seemed to feel even worse with each word.

"Oakfur, I would like to, but I am always so busy. I feel bad I can't hang out with you and our friends but every spare minut-"

Oakfur shook his head and interrupted her. "No. Uh not like that. Like spend more time with me so I could see if I would…like you for my mate." He sounded completely miserable.

Oakfur's words plunged Leafpool back into the painful abyss she had been trying to keep herself from falling into. Memories, half buried in her mind, had resurfaced in such a way she couldn't ignore them.

"_I'll take care of you Leafpool; I promise I will take care of you." _Had he really once told her that? _"I'm glad you're here. I would be so scared without you." _Had she really said that once?_ "I'll always look after you." _But he hadn't kept that promise. She was farther from him than she had ever been, in time and space. _Before there is peace, blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red. _How frightening that prophecy had once been. How could she have been so scared? _"Your heart lies here, not with me. It was never truly with me." _How did he know what her heart felt? How could he think that? _It would have never worked. I will never mean enough to you." "You mean more to me than you'll ever know." _She had been right, still was right.

When she thought about those times they were together, she hardly recognized herself. It was like she barely knew that cat, even though it was her. All the dreams she had, everything she had done. And she knew she was not over the pain of losing Crowfeather again. That had been a different time, when she was a different cat. Besides that, she was smart, smart enough not to make the same mistake twice. She had to be honest, even if it would break Oakfur's heart.

"I can't Oakfur. In more ways than one. I'm sorry." Leafpool told the warrior. She knew there was no need to explain about Crowfeather. All four clans knew about them, about their kits. "I should get back to Dewpaw." She dipped her head to him and her paws carried her back to camp, swift as a rabbit. Why did everything seem to have a connection to Crowfeather all of a sudden?

Dewpaw was awake when she returned to her den. Littlecloud was fetching some water for the injured cat. "Hey Dewpaw. Feeling ok?" The medicine cat made an effort to control her emotions.

"Yes. I am. Littlecloud has been tending to me; he is very kind." She blinked fondly at the old medicine cat, who had just laid the wet moss by her nest. He smiled back at her. "Can I go out and see Mistpaw and Sparrowpaw? Please?"

"I'll send them in here for you. I think you should rest awhile longer." Together she and Littlecloud exited the den. He broke away from her with a nod and joined the other elders. Leafpool found Dewpaw's siblings. Mistpaw along with Ferretpaw and Pinepaw, were watching as Sparrowpaw and Starlingpaw were trying out their battle moves on each other. She paused.

Sparrowpaw had the upper paw in the fight even though Starlingpaw had been training for almost twice as long and could expect his warrior name soon. Were had Sparrowpaw learned had to fight so efficiently? Starlingpaw jumped on Sparrowpaw but the younger tom quickly threw him off by taking the ginger apprentices paw in his mouth and throwing him over his head. _Such an unfamiliar move. And when did he get so strong?_ She stepped forward to interfere with the fight. Something about Sparrowpaw's moves unnerved her. What had Olivenose been teaching this apprentice?

"Dewpaw wishes to see you and Mistpaw." Leafpool mewed, speaking to Sparrowpaw.

"Awesome!" Mistpaw cheered. She and her brother scampered off to the medicine cat den.

"Are you hurt Starlingpaw?" She turned to the apprentice and helped him up. Ferretpaw and Pinepaw rushed up to him but he turned away.

"It's just my pride." He murmured quietly. Leafpool had to strain her ears to hear him. His sibling laughed but Leafpool just nodded. On her way back to the den she picked up a pigeon for Dewpaw to eat.

"Here." She gave the prey to her apprentice.

"Thanks, Leafpool." She smiled at her mentor and continued talking with her siblings.

While they talked and shared the bird, Leafpool straightened up the den. Remembering that Dewpaw had not been able to gather the herbs they needed due to the snake, she set out into the forest. She found the cobwebs easily, but the poppy seeds seemed to have been eaten by other creatures. _That's fine. We can do without them. _

When she had returned, Dewpaw was sleeping. Her dreams seemed more peaceful than they had been. _Good._ Leafpool did every task she could think of to have a reason to stay up longer. She was not scared for Dewpaw now; the apprentice was only feeling minor pain. As tired as she was, she didn't want to sleep. She knew Crowfeather would be walking in her dreams, haunting her.

**A/N: AT LAST! I knew it's taken forever and it's not very good and you all were anxious about Dewpaw. But unfortunately, my life is taking over my life. Blah Blah Blah. You don't want to hear about it. **

**Last chapter, I said the story was close enough to being finished that I was planning the ending. I think I mislead you all. I have about 8 or nine chapters more to write. So don't panic. I just like planning/writing/thinking about endings for some reason. I actually plan the ending to a story before I plan the beginning. Weird I know.**

**Thanks for reading and being patient with me. Please review and say what a horrible person I am for not writing for like a month. It will make me feel better. And know that I really do appreciate all of you. **

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	14. Relations

Chapter 14

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, meet under the treebranch for a clan meeting." Blackstar yowled before climbing up the tree. He sat on the branch and watched the clan gather.

Leafpool and Dewpaw walked out of the den together. They found places at the back of the crowd and sat down. _It must be time for the ceremony. _Leafpool was excited. This would be the first Shadowclan ceremony she saw.

When the whole clan had settled down, the mentors escorted the apprentices to the tree Blackstar sat in. There was a moment of silence before Blackstar spoke. "I, Blackstar, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors." The large white tom yowled from where he stood on his tree branch. Leafpool watched as he descended the tree, impressed that a large cat could have so much agility.

The three apprentices stepped forward and Blackstar continued with the ceremony. "Starlingpaw, Pinepaw and Ferretpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend the clan even at risk of your own lives?"

"I do." Starlingpaw had not lost his cockiness. If anything, he had grown more bold with the passing days.

"I do!" Pinepaw sounded eager but as he glanced around at the other warriors, his gaze seemingly shy.

Ferretpaw had the seriousness of an older cat. When he declared himself, he sounded almost bored, but the whole clan knew how determined he could be. "I do."

"Then, with the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior names," Blackstar announced. He turned to Starlingpaw. "From this day forward you shall be known as Starlingwing. Starclan honors your cunning and bravery and we welcome you as a warrior."

The clan cheered him, his new name echoing among them. Leafpool cheered along with him. _I really feel at home here. I finally feel like I'm a part of a clan again. _ She stifled a purr as she saw Dewpaw rolling her eyes at the new warrior. _Guess she still isn't that fond of him._

"Ferretpaw you shall be known as Ferretclaw. Starclan honors your sense of responsibility and your intelligence. We welcome you as a warrior." Ferretclaw dipped his head to Blackstar and cheers erupted from the crowd again. Dewpaw was more enthusiastic this time, Leafpool noted with another stifled purr.

"And you, Pinepaw will be known by the name of Pinenose. We honor your kindness and hunting skills. You are a warrior at last." More happy cries rose from the clan. Dewpaw watched her siblings crowd around the newest warriors and that lonely feeling she had experienced crept up on her again. Trying to push off the feeling, she took her place in line to congratulate the newest warriors.

Now that the formal part of the ceremony was over, the feast began. The senior warriors passed around the prey, and Sparrowpaw delivered some to the elders. Leafpool was eating with Blackstar and Rowanclaw. When she saw Dewpaw, the tabby beckoned her over with a wave of her tail. Surprised and hesitant, the apprentice made her way over to the three cats.

"Hi Dewpaw." Rowanclaw welcomed her with a smile. Dewpaw returned his friendly greeting, trying to feel more comfortable.

"How's your training going?" Blackstar asked.

"Pretty good. Leafpool's an amazing mentor and she knows so much. But I feel like I'm starting to get this medicine cat thing down." Dewpaw replied, trying not to embarrass herself. It was silent for the next couple of moments. Dewpaw was being to feel awkward and uncomfortable.

"Hey! Hey Dewpaw!" the apprentice turned to see Tigerheart calling for her.

"Do you mind if I go hang with him?" Dewpaw asked her leader.

"Of course not. You go have fun. Us old cats can get boring you know." Blackstar said. The four of them laughed and she dipped her head to the leader and deputy before scampering over to her friend.

"Hi Tigerheart." Dewpaw greeted her friend.

"Sorry to steal you away from the most important cats in the clan." He teased her.

"Maybe I'll be able to forgive you one day." She purred as she threw his teasing back at him.

"Hungry?" He asked, pushing the frog that lay at his feet closer to her.

"Sure, thanks." The cats shared the prey in silence. This silence wasn't awkward though. It was more peaceful, like an old friend.

Dewpaw licked her lips and mewed, "Tigerheart. How are things with Dovewing? Better?

"Not really. I've been to the border every few nights but I haven't seen her since she told me she thought I was using her." Tigerheart swallowed his last mouthful and asked, "How's your training going?" He seemed eager to change the subject.

Dewpaw laughed, easing away all the sad feelings they had. She was happy to talk about something else. She didn't know what to say or do to make Tigerheart feel any better. "That's what Blackstar asked. I'm starting to get the hang of this medicine cat thing. Time helps. And Leafpool's just amazing."

"She is. I remember, back when I was an apprentice, we had gone with my mother to stay in Thunderclan. Sol had just taken control and forced us to stop believing in Starclan. Tawnypelt wanted something batter for Flametail, Dawnpelt and I, so we went to live in Thunderclan. None of the cats viewed us as clanmates. Some of them were polite but most just ignored us. But Leafpool. She was different. From the first day and until we left she treated us warmly, kindly. She made us feel a lot better."

Dewpaw smiled. Kinkfur had told her the story of Sol but this was the first she had heard of Tawnypelt and her kits leaving for Thunderclan. "That's wonderful!"

"Yes. I've missed her since then. I'm glad she's here with us now." Tigerheart meowed.

"So am I." Tigerheart could hear just how fond Dewpaw was of her mentor, even in those three words.

"Can I ask you something?" Togerheart sounded sad all of a sudden. He looked away from Dewpaw and stared across the clearing at the medicine cat. She still sat with Blackstar and Rowanclaw, talking.

"Yes. What is it?" Dewpaw couldn't help growing worried.

"What happens after you become a full medicine cat?"

Shock. Confusion. Uncertainty. The three emotions danced across Dewpaw's face. "...I don't know, Tigerheart. I never thought about it."

The next morning, Leafpool had slept in a little later than normal. She yawned and stretched. As she blinked, she saw Dewpaw was already up. She was sorting and counting their herbs, counting them under her breath.

"Dewpaw! How long have you been awake?" Leafpool worried.

"Since dawn." The apprentice didn't seem concerned at all. She kept her eyes on the herbs, but her paws stopped.

"Dewpaw, you need rest. You were up late last night at the feast, and when you went to your nest you tossed and turned a lot." Leafpool scolded her gently. When Dewpaw didn't respond, she asked, "Are you ok? You look like there's some important on your mind."

Dewpaw sat down but refused to meet her mentor's gaze. At last she mumbled, "What happens after I finish my training?"

_I don't understand. What so worrisome about that? Isn't that exciting? _"Well you get your medicine cat name and then-"

Dewpaw interrupted her, seeing that she didn't understand. "What happens to you? Will you go back to Thunderclan?"

The question surprised Leafpool. She hesitated before saying, "I suppose so. There won't be any reason for me to stay here. I know you're going to be a wonderful medicine cat."

"How could you just leave me?" Dewpaw was not angry. In fact she was quite sad. In a burst of intuition, she realized Leafpool was that friend she had always wanted. Someone to be there for here, to have fun with her, support her through all the bad things, and make her laugh. Yet, Dewpaw loved her almost as much as she loved her mother and in the same way as she loved Kinkfur.

"If I left you, you have to know it be very hard on me. I think of you as one of my kits. I love you like you were my kit. You have to know you're special to me."

Dewpaw finally looked up at Leafpool. They smiled and Leafpool nudged her affectionately. "Now why don't you lie down? You're going to need all your rest for the Gathering tonight." The apprentice nodded and allowed her mentor to lead her to her nest. The mother gently pushed her into moss and the kit snuggled into dreams.

**A/N: Kind of a fluffy chapter. But I had to have that warrior ceremony. Actually, it should have been done a long time ago, seeing as though they have been training for almost twice as long as Mistpaw and Sparrowpaw. But that'll force me to make the story longer, which is a good thing I suppose. And I also had to arouse the question of what Leafpool will do after Dewpaw is through training. Leave a review and tell me what you think she should do. Also, if you'd like, suggest some names for Dewpaw. My friends and I already picked one but I'd love to hear what you all think. Love ya!**

**The story ideas belong to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	15. Surprises

Chapter 15

"Tonight, we gather under the full moon as commanded by Starclan. Firestar, would you like to speak first?" Mistystar yowled. The clans quieted down and looked at Firestar, who stepped forward on his branch.

"Two dawns ago, I sent a patrol of four cats to the mountains. Jayfeather had a sign that led him to believe we have important business there." Firestar paused as though he expected protests to break out, but it was silent. "While Jayfeather is away, Brightheart shall step in as medicine cat. Icecloud's shoulder is much better and so she has returned to her warrior duties." He stepped back and gestured with his tail that Onestar should speak next.

"Windclan has experienced loss this moon. Sunstrike lost her kits this moon. One died of illness another was carried off by a hawk." Onestar bowed his head for a moment. Murmurs of pity and sympathy swept through the crowd. Leafpool easily identified Sunstrike by the large white mark on her forehead. The Windclan cat flatten her ears and buried her face into a gray tom's shoulder. He licked her and whispered something to her. _That must be her mate. _But Leafpool didn't recognize the tomcat.

"They shall be missed. They were far too young. Since last moon we have been preparing for leaf bare. Kestrelflight has stocked up his supplies and we have been fortifying our dens with extra brambles to keep out the cold."

Blackstar took his turn to speak. "We have three new warriors. Pinenose, Ferretclaw and Stralingwing!" Saddness was replaced with yowls of welcome and encourgment. The three warriors dipped their heads in acknowledgement. "Dewpaw was bitten by a snake, but since then has made a full recovery. We too, are preparing for leaf bare."

When it was Mistystar's turn to speak she passed along trivial news of good hunting and some twoleg interference by the river. "We aren't letting them bother us." She concluded.

The leaders descended the tree and mingled in with the rest of the cats. More than one warrior had gone up to personally congradulate the newest Shadowclan warriors; Likewise, Sunstrike was receiving many condolences for the loss of her kits. _I still think that's awful. They were only half a moon old!_

"Leafpool!" The medicine cat turned around and nearly exploded with happiness.

"Squirrelflight!" The two sisters purred and exchanged licks of greeting.

"How are you? How's Shadowclan?" the ginger warrior asked.

"I'm fine. Shadowclan is doing well. Our sickness is gone and Dewpaw is becoming very capable." Leafpool smiled at the thought of her apprentice.

"Thunderclan misses you. You come up in every conversation and even Lionblaze seems lost without you and Jayfeather."

The news shocked Leafpool. She had imagined Thunderclan would be happy without her; most of her birthclan treated her as a burden. _How could they miss me all of a sudden? And Lionblaze? He's never viewed me as a positive cat in his life. Why is he missing me all of a sudden?_

"Really?" She simply couldn't believe it.

"Yeah. I guess they didn't realize how amazing you are. They didn't realize what they had till you were gone. They are hoping you'll come back when you're done with Dewpaw." Squirrelflight meowed. "Hey can I meet her?" Squirrelflight's enthusiasm reminded Leafpool of a kit.

"Sure, come on!" Leafpool led her sister through the crowd of cats. Her apprentice was talking to Dovewing. The gray she-cat nodded to the apprentice and scampered off when she saw Leafpool and Squirrelflight coming.

"Dewpaw, this is my sister-" Leafpool began but Dewpaw cut her off.

"Squirrelflight! Wow! So awesome to meet you! Leafpool's told me a lot about you! Did you really put fire ants in her nest when you two were kits?" The younger she-cat exclaimed.

The two littermates laughed, their voices sounding like the ring of a bell. "You told her that? You remembered that?" Squirreflight asked, addressing her sister.

"How could I forget?" Leafpool purred.

The Thunderclan warrior turned to face Dewpaw. "Yeah, I really did. But she got me back. Two days later, she pushed me into the river when my back was turned."

"Really? Leafpool never told me that part of the story." All three cats shared a laugh now.

Then they heard Firestar calling and Leafpool and Dewpaw had to say good bye.

"I'll try coming to the next Gathering! Bye!" Squirrelflight called over her shoulder as she retreated to the rest of her clan.

The medicine cats watched her disappear. "I like her. She's cool." Dewpaw commented to her mentor.

"She really is." Leafpool replied.

The winds had become colder and snow began falling since the Gathering a half a moon ago. Dewpaw was making another visit to the elders' den. She had been giving them strengthening herbs every day since the weather had turned frosty. It was the best way to keep them strong and prevent illness.

"Let all cats old enough to hunt gather beneath the treebranch for a clan meeting!" Blackstar's call echoed through camp. Dewpaw finished with the elders and led them out into the clearing and made sure they were settled before taking her place nest to Littlecloud and Leafpool.

"Littlecloud has come to a decision. Are you sure you still want this?"

The old medicine cat nodded and stepped forward. Blackstar jumped out of the tree and faced his old friend. "Is it your wish to give up the name of medicine cat and join the elders?"

"It is." A coughing fit erupted from him, interrupting his words, but his eyes shone with determination.

"Then I call upon Starclan to give you many seasons of rest. We thank and honor the service you have given us." Littlecloud licked Blackstar's shoulder and walked to the back of the corwd where his new denmates were sitting.

"I must also announce Ivytail's kits were supposed to have their apprentice ceremony today. However, they were found by Twoleg Place today, well outside of camp. I have decided they are not ready for the responsibilities of being an apprentice and must wait another two moons."

The white leader waved his tail to indicate the meeting was over. Leafpool watched him walk over to his deputy and say something. Rowanclaw nodded and left to set up the patrols.

"Dewpaw, could you gather some more Burnet? You use the last of it today." Her apprentice nodded and slipped out of camp. Leafpool went back to their den and started piling up the herbs.

_Dewpaw knows all the herbs already; she is really skilled and has good instincts. Should I give her her full name at the next half-moon Gathering? _Yet, something stopped Leafpool from speaking about it to her apprentice. _You don't want to leave. You love working with herbs and hanging with Dewpaw._ Was it right of her to deny Dewpaw what she desevered because of her own selfishness?

Leafpool headed out into the forest to catch up with Dewpaw, trying to push away these worry thoughts. But they keep coming back to sting her.

"Here, I'll help you carry that back." She meowed when she caught up to Dewpaw.

"Thanks. I also found some tansy we might need." Dewpaw mewed as she helped her friend divide up the herbs.

"Good thinking." She proceeded to gather up the herbs and together the two cats headed back to camp. When they entered their shared den, they laid out the leaves to dry.

"Do you need me for anything? I want to get a piece of fresh-kill." Dewpaw asked.

"No go ahead. I'll be fine." Leafpool meowed.

Dewpaw trotted out of the den and headed over to the fresh-kill pile. Leafpool watched her pick up a lizard and glance around the clearing. _Bet she's looking for her littermates. _Sure enough, when her gaze landed on Mistpaw and Sparrowpaw, Dewpaw settled down to share prey and news with them.

Leafpool forced herlsef to pay attention to what she was doing. But after a few heartbeats, she realized it was impossible. Sighing she put away the herbs and promised to count them after she had some fresh-kill.

As she stepped into the clearing, Dewpaw practically pounced on her. "Guess what!"

"What's up?" the older she-cat got completely caught up in her friend's excitement.

"Mistpaw and Sparrowpaw are having their assesments soon!"

Leafpool purred. At the same moment, a gray and white she-cat burst through the tunnel. "Leafpool! We need you!" all the Shadowclan cats turned around to stare at the newcomer. Leafpool gasped.

It was Hazeltail.

**A/N: How about that? By the way, I lied. Sorry. I have to write like two more chapters, maybe three. And then an epilogue and done. I have loved every minute of this experience. Thank you all for sticking with me and reviewing. **

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	16. Herb

Chapter 16

_Why does being here feel so strange to me? _Leafpool tried telling herself it was because she was used to the scents and sounds of Shadowclan's forests._ But this is my Birthclan! Shadowclan territory should have been weird right from the start but it never really was! _

Leafpool wondered what the sickness was that had broken out among Thunderclan. _It could just be Greencough or something trivial like that…but It could also be really bad. It probably is really bad. Jayfeather is a gifted medicine cat and he could have Brightheart helping. _As she ran with Hazeltail to Thunderclan's camp, she thought back to when the Thunderclan warrior had first arrived in camp.

The Shadowclan cats had been hostile and unfriendly but that didn't surprise Leafpool. "Leafpool please help us! Brightheart needs you! Something's happened…" Hazeltail was panicking; her eyes were wide as the moon, her fur standing on end. She trailed on the end of what she was saying, but her eyes shone desperately. _How could I have said no? And Squirrelflight already said they missed me, so I won't be made a fool of. _ Leafpool shared a look with Blackstar, silently asking permission. _But we both knew the decision was up to me. _

"Come on; We're almost there!" _Does she think I've forgotten where the camp is?! _ But Leafpool knew it would be pointless to speak her thoughts aloud. It wasn't important now. When the two cats exploded into the camp, everything was quiet. Thunderclan's home seemed deserted. The tabby she-cat swung her head around, her eyes searching for any signs of life. "Almost everyone has been hurt or fallen ill. The few lucky cats are out hunting. None of the clan has had a square meal in a while."

"Hurt or fallen ill? What's going on?" Leafpool was bewildered.

"Twolegs seem to be trying to get rid of us. They set traps throughout our territory." Hazeltail explained. "They also poisoned the prey; any cats that eat the prey tainted with it fall ill."

Shock crossed Leafpool's face and clouded her emotions. Never had this happen to any clan before. She took a deep breath; the clan needed her to be strong if she had any chance of beating this. "I need to see Jayfeather."

"Uh Leafpool, weren't you at the last Gathering? Jayfeather's in the mountains. Squirrelflight, Foxleap and Dovewing went with him." Hazeltail mewed, looking at her former clanmate curiously.

_Right! No wonder she's so panicked! They don't have a fully trained medicine cat here!_ "Then I'll need to start working right away. And that means I need to see Brightheart, urgently."

Hazeltail bounded to the medicine cats den and flicked her tail, gesturing that Brightheart was inside. "I'll have to go hunting now. Brightheart is in there with the elders, Poppyfrost and her kits."

Leafpool thanked her and Hazetail slipped back into the forest. Before entering the den, the tabby she-cat took a deep breath. When she pushed through the brambles, a foul smell hit her nose. As her eyes adjusted to dim light inside the den, she began making out her former clanmates. Poppyfrost and her kits were in a nest by the pool of water. The elders were closer to the herb store. Brightheart just popped out of the store. "Leafpool!" The ginger and white warrior looked shocked, but relief and happiness also shone in her eyes.

"I'm here. Hazeltail fetched me. She told me what happened," Leafpool mewed quickly, "What have you given them so far? Where are the warriors?"

"In the warriors den. The healthy cats have been sleeping outside the camp, so they don't get infected. I tried yarrow to make them sick, and it did make them vomit. But they're still tainted. And Mousefur and Purdy and the kits are only whiskers from Starclan!" Brightheart rushed through her words, tangling them so much Leafpool could hardly understand.

"I'll have a look at them. Get some juniper berries; they are going to need as much strength they can get." Brightheart disappeared again and Leafpool crouched over the elders. It was obvious they were sick, not hurt from the Twoleg's traps. Leafpool casted around inside her head, going through her list of herbs and remedies. Faintly she remembered Cinderpelt telling her about this certain herb a long time ago. It had been at the beginning of her apprenticeship, back in the old forest. What was it called?

Brightheart was suddenly beside her. The elders were deeply unconscious, so together the she-cats manipulated their mouths so the elderly cats could swallow the berries. They did the same for the kits and their mother. _What is it?! _"Should we do the same for the warriors?" Brightheart asked. Leafpool nodded but she was still deeply inside her mind, frantically trying to recollect everything she knew about that herb.

As they left the den, mouths full of juniper, Ivypool, Blossomfall and Mousewhisker returned from hunting. They had very little prey. Finding food in Leaf-bare was difficult but finding prey that had not been tainted with sickness was worse. Leafpool was shocked at how thin they were. _They must be giving all their food to the sick cats. _They were walking skeletons and all three of them had wounds on their sides or legs. _Probably from the traps. _

"Leafpool." Ivypaw mewed. She didn't seem to have the strength to even talk in a normal voice. Her mew had been a whisper. Her spirits seem to lift a little. Her companions turned and relief filled their eyes as well. Brightheart slipped into the den to dose everyone with juniper berries while Leafpool walked closer to the patrol.

"You three have a case of exhaustion." Leafpool said.

"We hunt all day for the clan. Brackenfur, Hazeltail and Siderleg too. Everyone else is sick or too hurt to hunt." Mousewhisker told her, confirming what Leafpool said. _This is worse than I thought. I have to remember that plant!_

"When is the last time any of you had anything to eat?" the tabby she-cat worried.

Blossomfall said, "We don't like taking any food from our clanmates. They need it more."

"You guys are starving. Take some prey. Or I'm going to send you all to your nests for some much need rest." The medicine cat said, her worry putting some force in her voice.

"We should go out hunting again, we don't need rest." Blossomfall murmured. She yawned though and the rest of the patrol copied the action.

"As your medicine cat, I'm saying you do. As soon as I'm done with Brightheart, I'll go hunting."

That seemed to pacify the three cats, as they nodded and headed out of camp. Leafpool watched until they were out of sight and then padded to the warriors den to assist Brightheart.

Thunderclan's warriors were all asleep. They looked slightly better fed than Ivypaw, Blossomfall and Mousewisker but their ribs still showed. About half of them had deep wounds down their sides and the other half kept coughing and sneezing in their sleep. As she treated them with the red berries, Leafpool was filled of fond memories for these cats.

As she treated Sandstorm, all Leafpool could think of was being a kit again: sleeping with her mother, her sister at her side. Playing games with her sister while their mother watched proudly. _My family. I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. _

"Brightheart, get some sleep. I can treat Firestar." The warrior nodded and retired back to the medicine cats den. As Leafpool slipped into the clearing, Siderleg and Brackenfur were heading back out into the forest again, the fresh kill pile a bit fuller.

Carefully, Leafpool picked her way up the tumble of rocks to her father's den. _I have to remember what that herb was! _She was having such a hard time because she had never used the herb; Cinderpelt had always used yarrow or catmint to treat diseases, since it was more common and more effective.

When she pushed through the lichen, she gasped. Her father had a long deep wound on his hind leg. Quickly she gave him the berries. Surprisingly, he stirred. The flame coated cat looked into his daughter's eyes for a moment, seeming confused. Recognition filled his pupils and he reached up to lick Leafpool's cheek. "You're here. You're home." His voice was rusty from lack of use.

Her voice brimming with emotion she whispered, "I had to help." Firestar curled his tail around her shoulders and Leafpool lay down beside him. Sadness accompanied her to sleep, helping her to close her eyes to the darkness.

The next morning, she got early and assessed the cats again. All those who had been wounded could use another marigold poultice. Working side by side, Brightheart and Leafpool chewed through the leaves and applied them to the cats that needed them. Then every cat got another dose of juniper. By then, some of them were waking up. All that did were overjoyed to see Leafpool.

"We're running out of supplies." Brightheart stated when they had finished.

"I'll fetch more. Tell all those who are awake to get something to eat. They'll need it." Leafpool responded. Brightheart nodded and left. Leafpool then went over to check the herb store, needing to know which herbs had run out.

They had no more juniper and only a bit of marigold left, but at least they were well stocked with cobwebs and yarrow._ But I must know what that other plant is!_ Sighing, she checked the elders and Poppyfrost one last time before heading out to the clearing.

"Good news! Toadstep's wound had healed!" Brightheart called to Leafpool as she too entered the clearing. Before the medicine cat could respond, Foxleap himself walked out of the warriors den.

"I'm going hunting. Is that ok?" Leafpool ran her eyes over him. He was skinny and scarred but fine otherwise.

"Yes, but be careful. I'm going to get some more herbs, I'll walk out with you." Together, she and the tom made their way to the entrance. They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Leafpool headed to the abandoned Twoleg nest, hoping the frost had not killed the herbs. Her mind was still thinking about the mystery plant.

Thankfully, the marigold had survived most of the frosts. Only a little of it had been damaged. Leafpool cleared that away to make room for new growth and gathered the remaining leaves. Staring at the herbs, something came to her. "Jewelweed." She whispered. "Jewelweed!" She yowled, cause the marigold to drop from her jaws.

_Things will be ok now._

**A/N: Is that ok? I'm still shooting for two more chapters and epilogue but it may need more than that. Or I could make the chapters super long. Which would you prefer: less super long chapters, or more chapters of the usual length?**

**Again, I'd like to hear what you think Dewpaw's name should be. And thank you all for reading and reviewing. **

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	17. Saviors

Chapter 17

"Hold still, I'll get it out." Dewpaw gave Dawnpelt's paw a lick, searching for the thorn that was causing the creamy she-cat pain. She closed her mouth around it and gave a fierce tug. Dawnpelt grunted in pain but said nothing. Dewpaw spat the thorn away and pressed some marigold in the warrior's paw. "Come back if it hurts more, but you should be fine."

Dawnpelt was out of the den before Dewpaw finished speaking. The anger that had settled in her eyes permanently since Flametail died flashed as she left. _Would I be like that if Sparrowpaw or Mistpaw died?_

Dewpaw just took a moment to breathe. Since Leafpool left six sunrises ago, she had been responsible for the whole clan. Of course nothing serious had happened, but she worried that something would happen that she wasn't prepared or trained for. _Littlecloud's here, but I will feel much better when Leafpool's back. Not to mention the fact I miss her. _

She started tidying up the den, making sure she didn't wake Rowanclaw. The deputy had gotten a bellyache the night before, after eating a bad frog. But it wasn't serious and it would only be a day or two till he was up and around. She placed the marigold back into the store, next to the chervil root and coltsfoot. Looking around, she noted they were almost out of mallow leaves. _I must have used all of it for Rowanclaw. _She pushed her way out of the den and was immediately tackled by her littermates.

"It's today!" Mistpaw wrestled her sister to the ground and cuffed her ear with a sheathed paw.

"Our warrior ceremony!" Sparrowpaw added. His eyes were shining like Mistpaw's. Gently but firmly, he took Mistpaw's scruff in his mouth and pulled her off Dewpaw.

Staring at her brother, Dewpaw was struck by just how much he had grown. His shoulders were broad and strong and the medicine cat apprentice knew he would make a powerful warrior. Mistpaw slipped out of her brother's grip and swiped a paw at him. When he lunged at her, Mistpaw darted away, showing off her agility. _They'll both be great warriors. _Dewpaw was proud of them. Mistpaw was weaving side to side, never in the same place for more than a heartbeat. It confused Sparrowpaw. _She's clever._

_Now! _Dewpaw leaped, timing it just right. The second Mistpaw's feet touched the ground, Dewpaw knocked her down with her pounce. "You're my first catch of the day."Dewpaw purred triumphantly. Sparrowpaw chuckled along with his sister. "I have to go find some more mallow."

"And we should get hunting." He said. Dewpaw got off her sister and helped her to her paws. Mistpaw ran a tongue over her ruffled pelt to smooth it out and then all three cats headed into the forest. Dewpaw traveled to the lakeshore while her siblings followed a scent trail.

She gathered up the mallow leaves in a huge bundle and walked back through the forest. Along the way, she dug up some comfrey that looked as though it was begging to be picked. When she reached the border stream, she set the herbs down and took a drink. She licked her lips, catching the last of the moisture, and bent down to retrieve her plants once again.

A wail echoed through the forest. Abandoning the herbs, she raced through the trees. The wailing was getter louder; she used it to guide her. When she burst out of the trees and back on the lakeshore, she stared in horror. Her sister was drowning. In the lake. _No!_

The waves pulled her further and further away. Without another thought, she launched herself into the water. Forgetting that she didn't know how to swim, the medicine cat thrashed her legs through the water. "Dewpaw. Kick with your legs; use your tail for balance and keep your head above water." It was Mossheart, her Starclan guardian. The apprentice didn't see her ancient guardian, but her soft voice was at her ear.

Dewpaw tried paddling. She swept her legs as fast as she could, desperate to reach her sister. By now, Mistpaw was too tired to call out. Her sturggles had weakened. _I'm too late!_ Despairingly, Dewpaw splashed through the water faster. _How does Riverclan stand it? _Her thoughts were wild, her heart racing and her adrenaline was pumping. Mistpaw's head slunk under the lake.

With gasp of air, Dewpaw dived after her. Grasping her sister's scruff, she tried swimming to the surface. _Which way is up?! _The combination of exhaustion and her sister weighed her down. _Mossheart, Leafpool, I'm sorry. I can't save her. _

Her lungs screamed for air. Panic rose up in her chest. She could feel that the end was near. _No! I can't let that happen! _Fresh determination welled up inside her. Pushing out strongly with her legs, she resurfaced just as her lungs gave up. _We're alive. _Pulling Mistpaw with her, Dewpaw floundered through the water. As she neared the shore, she caught sight of Sparrowpaw standing with his mentor, Olivenose, and Mistpaw's mentor, Applefur was up to her belly in the lake.

Applefur helped Dewpaw carry Mistpaw the rest of the way. When reach land, Mistpaw was placed gently on some ferns so Dewpaw could look for signs of injury. "She seems ok. Her heart is steady and her breathing is even. She may need some poppy seeds and juniper berries." But as they went to pick her up, her other flank revealed a large scratch.

"I need some cobwebs!" Mistpaw blood was seeping out and staining the grass. Sparrowpaw shot off into the forest. Meanwhile, Dewpaw licked the wound clean, to protect it from infection. _I hope the lake waters weren't too dirty. Who knows what kind of germs could have settled in? _Sparrowpaw returned faster than Dewpaw had begun to hope. Quickly the arranged the cobwebs into place, so that they covered the entire gash. She was only barely conscious of the other cats around her. When she spoke it was more to herself. "I can give her marigold in my den; the most important thing was to stop the bleeding."

Applefur and Olivenose moved toward Mistpaw so they could pick her up and carry her home. Gently they picked her up and together the Shadowclan cats made their way to the camp.

Meows of shock greeted them. Dewpaw shooed away all of her curious clanmates. _I'll get Mistpaw settled and report to Blackstar. _She made a marigold poultice for Mistpaw and applied it to the wound. Rowanclaw, who had watched quietly while Dewpaw was working, said, "Littlecloud gave me some more herbs at Sunhigh and I feel better. May I go for a walk?"

Dewpaw padded over to him and breathed in his scent. It was back to normal. "Yes. You can return to your duties too. But come back right away if you have more pain." Rowanclaw promised he would, thanked her and left. _Thank you for watching over us, Mossheart Thank you for helping me save my sister. Please bring Leafpool home soon. _

As she padded to Blackstar's den, Applefur stopped her and mewed, "Are you going to tell Blackstar?"

"Yes. I think he ought to know."

"Oh I don't disagree. I'll go with you," Applefur meowed. Dewpaw nodded and together the two she-cats walked to their leader's den. Dewpaw called a greeting. "Come on in." Blackstar rumbled.

"Have you heard of what happened to Mistpaw?" Applefur asked. When the white tom-cat shook his head, Applefur launched into the tale. "Mistpaw had her assessment today, as you know. She had already caught two frogs and a sparrow. She was stalking a toad when a huge hawk swooped in and took her. I jumped up and scratched it before the hawk could get away. It dropped her and she fell and rolled into the lake. Before I could help her out, the waves swept her further away."

"That's when I found them. I got her out and we brought her home." Dewpaw added.

"She's downplaying it, Blackstar. Dewpaw was very brave. She risked her life for the safety of a clanmate. We're lucky to have her. There aren't many cats that would do what she did." Applefur insisted. Dewpaw looked at her paws, embarrassed. Blackstar looked at her, respect and awe dancing in his gaze. Dewpaw felt more self-conscious, and it was only made worse when Blackstar dupped his head to her in deep respect.

"Thank you Dewpaw. Shadowclan needs more cats like you." Dewpaw murmured her thanks.

"May I be exscued, Blackstar? I don't want to leave Mistpaw alone." The medicine cat asked. Blackstar nodded his assent and so Dewpaw returned to her den. She was a little surprised to see Sparrowpaw there already, lying beside their sister. _I probably would have been more surprised if he hadn't been here. _

"Dewpaw." Her brother said, "You saved her. Thank you." The dark gray she-cat just nodded and lay beside her brother. They shared tongues and watched over Mistpaw.

"How was your assessment?" Dewpaw whispered

"Great. Olivenose and Blackstar said I passed, but I want to wait to have my ceremony with Mistpaw." His mew was flat with worry.

"She's going to be fine. She just needs rest. And her wound isn't deadly. Congratulations." Dewpaw reached over to give her brother a lick.

"Thanks." For a moment, happiness shone through the worry in his eyes like the Sun. "Why don't you get some rest? You have to be tired; I'll watch Mistpaw and wake you if something's wrong."

"Well…alright."Dewpaw mewed reluctantly. She snuggled closer to Mistpaw and squeezed her eyes shut. For all her exhaustion, worry kept her conscious for longer than she wanted.

**A/N: Step 2 of my plan for the end of the story is complete. What do you think? Two more chapters and then the epilogue! Today is the first day of summer! Yay! That means faster updates, for this story as well as the sequel I am planning for my first story, Silverkit's Struggles!**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	18. Health

Chapter 18

It had now been a half moon since Leafpool had come to Thunderclan's aid. Leaf-bare had released its grip on the forest. Prey was abundant and healthy now and the sun was always shining. _Things are much better now. I am so glad I could find that Jewelweed. _ She had found the minty green herb on the border with Windclan. There hadn't been very much, but the plant was very potent and she had as much as she needed.

"I'm going to check on the elders and kits." She mewed to Brightheart. Her friend nodded, not looking up from the pile of herbs she was sorting. As she crossed camp, she saw with satisfaction that border patrols and hunting parties were getting sent out. The clan was getting back to their normal routine.

Brambleclaw was sitting on the Highledge, talking to Firestar. To her relief, both toms looked much better than when she first arrived. Brambleclaw had been one of the sickest warriors and though he still looked weak, he sat with his head high and his eyes gleaming. Firestar's wound had completely healed, even if his scar would remain on his pelt forever.

When she saw the Mousefur and Purdy, she was pleased with their improvement. They had been so sick when she arrived, but with some rest and plenty of the Jewelweed they looked almost back to normal. With the elders accounted for, she headed to the nursery. "Hello Leafpool!" Cherrykit squeaked.

"Leafpool, yay!" Molekit pounced on her tail.

"Molekit! Get off of Leafpool right now," Poppyfrost scolded her kit. "I'm sorry. I think they must have den fever." Their mother added to Leafpool.

"No worries." The medicine cat purred. "I think it's safe to say they are feeling better then?"

"Definitely." The young queen shook her head at her litter, who were now chasing each other around the den.

"And you?" Leafpool could see she was better. There was no trace of the scent and the queen looked calm and confident.

"Me too. Much better." She got up to separate her kits, who had started fighting with each other. "Knock it off, you two." She chided them. Her tome was firm, but her eyes sparkled with happiness and relief that her kits felt well enough to get into mischief.

"I'll give you another dose of herbs for the kits, but they should be ok. I just don't want to take any chances." With that, Leafpool slipped out of the den. She gathered up some of the leaves and returned. Poppyfrost thanked her, and Leafpool went to check the warriors.

Most of the cats that had been wounded were healed. Only Bumblestripe and Cloudtail were still recovering. Both of them were growing impatient and fidgety as they longed to be hunting and patrolling the borders with their clanmates. "Can't I go hunting today?" Bumblestripe meowed.

Leafpool sighed. Yesterday they had pestered her so much, she let them take a walk in the forest. Today, she knew, they wouldn't settle for that. "Me too! Come on Leafpool; we're fine, really." Cloudtail added.

"All right. But take it easy. And come back right away if it starts bleeding or hurts." The medicine cat consented.

Before she had finished speaking, both toms were up and out of the den. Leafpool could hear them chatting excitedly. She couldn't help but purr fondly._ They're acting like kits! _

"Leafpool? Can I have some more herbs?" It was voice was quiet and raspy. Walking over to her mother, the tabby she-cat gave her a sniff. Sandstorm was worrying her. Unlike most of the clan, she was worse than illness refuse to leave her, and Leafpool despaired of losing her mother.

"Yes. Looks like you need it." Sorreltail, Rosepetal and Duspelt, the other sick warriors, were sleeping. When she sniffed them quietly, they were better than Sandstorm. Their breathing was even, suggesting their sleep was not broken by the sickness. _I'll check them more thoroughly when they wake. _"I'll be right back." She assured her mother.

Before she gathered up the Jewelweed for Sandstorm, she checked on Brairlight. The young she-cat had started displaying some of the symptoms of the illness three sunrises ago. "How do you feel?"

"Better than I have in a couple of days. That Jewelweed works well." The brown warrior replied promptly. Unlike Sandstorm, her voice was clear and strong and her eyes were bright.

"I'm going to give you more, but the worst is over. Now you're in the recovery process." Leafpool snatched up some of the leaves and placed them in front of Brairlight. "I'm going to give Sandstorm another dose as well."

"How is she doing?" Concern colored her voice and pooled in her eyes.

"She's…much the same." The medicine cat didn't want to worry her clanmate. _It's my job to worry about our clanmates and I worry enough for both of us anyway. _ When she returned to the warrior's den, Dustpelt and Rosepetal were awake.

"Hi Leafpool!" Rosepetal mewed. The medicine cat put her herbs down and returned the friendly greeting. She left Sandstorm with the herbs and checked Dustpelt and Sorretail.

"Dustpelt, I think you're all better. How are you feeling?"

"A bit weak. But isn't that normal?" the grouchy warrior sounded unusually gentle.

"Yes, coupled with the fact you haven't been exercising your muscles as much as they're used to. You'll be fine. Why don't you take a walk? Don't overdo though; it's going to be a little while before you're back to full strength." The tom thanked her and left the den. His first steps were a little shaky, but he recovered himself by the time he had reached the den entrance. Passing Leafpool, he gave her a quick lick.

Leafpool was surpsied by his affection. If even Dustpelt was so kind with her than what Squirrelflight had said must have been right. "I still feel outa sorts." Sorretail meowed. "But I do feel better than I did yesterday."

"That's a good thing. Here, have some more Jewelweed. And don't worry; every cat recovers at their own pace. You'll be back on your paws soon."

"Thank you Leafpool. I'm glad you're back. Could i go out into the clearing and eat a piece of fresh-kill?"

"Yes, of course. I'll go with you.

When Leafpool and Sorretail entered the clearing again, she was happy to see the full fresh-kill pile and the healthy warriors that sat beside it, sharing prey. She picked a squirrel and settled beside her friend to share it with her.

"How is everyone healing?" the queen asked.

"Sandstorm is still sick, but the elders and kits are better. Bumblestripe and Cloudtail's wounds are better too. Rosepetal and Brairlight are just starting to recover, but they are young and strong. It won't be too long." The tabby responded.

"Dustpelt too. You let him leave camp, and he's looking better than he has in days." Sorretail mewed. Their meal finished, the she-cats groomed each other's pelts, sharing tongues for the first time in a while.

"He was really nice to me. I would have thought he had a fever. And Poppyfrost and Rosepetal…and every cat I guess." Leafpool commented thoughtfully.

"We've all missed you. I can't believe i was such a jerk to you. I'm so sorry. How could I have forgotten everything we've been through? You were so happy when I had my kits...I should have felt the same for you." Her eyes brimmed with sadness and guilt.

"Thanks Sorretail. You don't know how good it is to hear that. I was worried you wouldn't forgive me. You and the clan. But I have to go back now."

Squirrelflight just stared at her sister, sorrow in her gaze. "Why?" She finally meowed.

Leafpool brushed her muzzle along her sister's before standing up. "Dewpaw need to finish her training. And I still have a responsibility to Shadowclan. I'd better talk to Firestar and Brightheart." The ginger warrior just nodded sadly.

"You're doing what you believe is right, just like always. I won't stop you. But come back soon...and dont forget how much we need you. And how sorry we all are."

"I'll be done training her soon." Leafpool didn't mention that she had been thinking about staying in Shadowclan. She would have never guessed Thunderclan would miss her this much, and now she had to think about the matter again. _What should I do? Where should I go? I really should be thinking about other things. There will be time later to consider this matter._

Leafpool trudged up to her father's den, but when she called a greeting, there was no reply. _That's odd. _She looked around the camp, but couldn't see him. _Maybe he's in the warrior's den, with Sandstorm. _Sure enough when she checked the den, he was sitting beside her.

"I was worried about her. I want to be here when she wakes up. She will wake up, right?" The leader said.

"Yes. I think she will. Firestar, I wanted to tell you I am going back to Shadowclan. Dewpaw needs to finish her training."

"Right." The flame colored tom sounded like the calm, confident leader again. "The thanks of clan go with you. You have saved us and came back when we needed you, even when you had responsibilities in Shadowclan."

"I'll miss you though." The tabby she-cat felt a sob coming and forced it down. _I have to be strong._

"And I you. Come home when you can." Firestar leaned in and gave Leafpool a lick. Then they both left the warrior's den.

"Firestar!" Hazeltail called. She was standing with Mousewhisker and Spiderleg. With a nod to his daughter, the leader padded over to hear what his warriors had to say.

"Brightheart?" Leafpool called as she walked over to the medicine cat's den.

"Yes?" The ginger and white she-cat appeared instantly, as though she had been waiting for Leafpool expecting her.

"I'm going back to Shadowclan. You don't need me anymore. You know where to find the Jewelweed and most of the clan are back on their feet."

"I'll miss you. You were always a great friend to me. I'll see you at the Gathering right?"

"Of course. And I'll miss you." Leafpool meowed. "But I have to go. I have a responsibility to Shadowclan and Dewpaw."

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you like it. I know most of its dialogue, but none of it is unnecessary. I think the next chapter will be the last. I have only a couple more things to do and I don't know exactly how long they'll take. But if it's not the last, it'll be the second to last. And then the epilogue. **

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It makes my day.**

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	19. Warriors

Chapter 19

Leafpool's trek through the forest back to Shadowclan reminded her of when she first left Thunderclan. _Everything is different now! I don't know what I should do._ She tried pushing these thoughts away, excited to see Dewpaw and her Shadowclan friends again.

When she reached the border, she hesitated briefly. _Should I just cross it? I am part of Shadowclan for now so… _Without another thought, she bounded over the border and through the familiar forest. When she reached the camp, she took a breath before paddling through. The familiar scent of Shadowclan hit her and she automatically relaxed. _Weird how it doesn't smell icky to me anymore._

"Leafpool! You'r back!" Dewpaw cried. She had been standing beside the fresh-kill pile; now she was pouncing on Leafpool. The tabby she-cat purred. _She's gotten so big! Feels like forever since I've seen her. _Dewpaw got off of her mentor and Leafpool gave her a lick. "I'm so glad you're back. I wasn't expecting you this soon." Dewpaw whispered.

_How could I leave you? _"I'm glad I'm back too. How have you been?" Leafpool asked, pushing away her sadness. _Enjoy the moment._

"Good. The clan's fine too. Dawnpelt had a thorn in her paw and Rowanclaw a bellyache, but they're ok now." The apprentice reported.

"I knew I could count on you."

"That's not everything though-" Dut Dewpaw was cut off as Rowanclaw, Blackstar, and Oakfur padded over.

"Hi Leafpool. Shadowclan is glad to see you back again." Rowanclaw mewed. Blackstar nodded in agreement.

"How is Thunderclan?" the leader asked.

"They are fine now." Leafpool was sure exactly why the big white tom had asked, so she kept her answer short.

"Good, good." He dipped his head to her and left to talk to a patrol of warrior that just returned.

"I have to go too, Leafpool. But I just wanted to say it's nice to see you back. Things…weren't the same." Rowanclaw meowed. Then he padded into the warriors den. The four cats watched him emerge with another group of warriors. _Hunting patrol, probably._

"I'm glad you're back too." Oakfur dipped his head to her. There seemed to be no trace of sadness or hurt in his eyes._I'm glad he's accepted we can only be friends. _ The medicine cat gave him a lick and thanked him before she and her apprentice walked toward their den.

"Mistpaw? Are you ok? Why are you here?" the tabby she-cat asked, confusion settling in her eyes.

"I was getting to that. But then our friends came over." Dewpaw meowed before her sister could say anything.

"I was taking my hunting assessment when a hawk grabbed me." Leafpool's eyes grow wide with horror and her mouth dropped open as Mistpaw told her tale. "Applefur jumped up and freed me from the large bird, but I when I fell I landed in the lake. I tried swimming back to shore, but the waves kept pulling me farther and farther. I would have drowned without Dewpaw. She jumped in and swam over. I remember closing my eyes and felt like I was sinking or something. And then when I woke up in here, I thought I was dreaming. But I realized I was here alive because of Dewpaw. She saved me." _Oh my! You poor thing! That's just awful._

The medicine cat looked at her apprentice with new eyes. _She's more than ready. She's grown up so much; she's brave and smart and has good instincts. Shadowclan is lucky to have her. _ She said none of this to Dewpaw. Instead she meowed, "I was right to trust you."

Dewpaw nodded, seemingly embarrassed and uncomfortable. "Thanks. But any other cat would have done it. I'm just an apprentice; I don't know why every cat is treating me like I descended from Silverpelt."

"Because you're a hero, mousebrain." Her sister purred. Leafpool nodded.

"I was going to let Mistpaw return to her duties today. Is that alright, Leafpool." The dark gray apprentice seemed eager to change the subject, so the medicine cat complied.

"Let's take a look then." Leafpool nosed Mistpaw, but her wound was healed and there wasn't any fatigue in her muscles. _She does have good instincts. _"Yes you're fine."

"Great!" the warrior apprentice touched her nose to Dewpaw's before scrambling out of her nest out the den.

"I'm going to tell Blackstar she's ok. He wanted to have her and Sparrowpaw's warrior ceremonies as soon as she was better." Dewpaw meowed. Her mentor nodded and the younger she-cat slipped out of the den.

Leafpool tidied the den; she placed the stray herbs in the store and got rid of Mistpaw's nest. When she returned, Blackstar was calling a meeting. She sat down on at her place on the roots of the tree, with Dewpaw and Rowanclaw beside her.

"Shadowclan, you all know what happen to Mistpaw when she was working on her assessment. But she is better now, thanks to Dewpaw. The clan honors your bravery, Dewpaw." Blackstar yowled. The clan cheered their approval. Dewpaw dipped her head in thanks. "And we wish to welcome Leafpool back." Blackstar continued. The clan called out some greetings and then Blackstar spoke again. "Mistpaw, Sparrowpaw, please step forward."

The two apprentices bounded forward, while Kinkfur looked on proudly. Their fur was sleek and well-groomed. "I Blackstar, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors. Sparrowpaw, Mistpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your very lives?"

"I do!" Mistpaw's eyes shone excitedly but her voice was steady and determined.

"I do." Sparrowpaw echoed his sister. He had the seriousness of a much older cat, but his tail waved in anticipation.

"Then, by the powers of Starclan I give you your warrior names. Sparrowpaw from this moment on you will be known as Sparrowflight. Starclan honors your strength and forethought. We welcome you as a warrior of Shadowclan." Blackstar rested his muzzle on the newly named warrior, and Sparrowflight licked his leader's shoulder respectfully. The clan cheered him and called out his name as he stepped back into the crowd.

"And Mistpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Mistfeather. Starclan honors your enthusiasm and kindness and we welcome you as a full Shadowclan warrior." Blackstar rested his muzzle against her head, and like her brother, Mistfeather licked Blackstar's shoulder.

The clan roared their approval for her as well. "Mistfeather, Sparrowflight!" Dewpaw called happily. She sprang from Leafpool side to talk with her littermates. Leafpoo, stood up too and went to congratulate the new warriors. "We shall feast tonight in honor of Mistfeather and Sparrowflight and then they shall sit and guard us in silent vigil till dawn." Blackstar concluded.

He jumped form the tree and started passing prey around. Dewpaw, the good apprentice she was, took a toad and a sparrow to the elders before taking her own piece of fresh kill. She sat beside her mentor and her siblings and listened to the talk of the clan.

"What did you catch during your asessments?" Leafpool asked the newest warriors.

"I got two frogs and a sparrow. And I was sneaking up on a toad before that hawk grabbed me." Mistfeather meowed with her mouth full.

Sparrowflight finished chewed and mewed, "I caught a blackbird and two mice."

"Wow, a blackbird?" Leafpool was impressed.

"You should have seen how high he had to leap! It's like he flew into the sky!" Mistfeather boasted about her littermate. Dewpaw purred.

"I'm really happy for both of you. You'll make great warriors!" she told her siblings.

"And you'll be the best medicine cat to walk the forest!" Mistfeather mewed, giving her sister a lick.

"You already are, to me anyway." Sparrowflight added. They shared tongues and continued to swap news until it was time for the new warriors to take their places in the center of the clearing.

"Good luck!" Dewpaw called as she and Leafpool retired to their den for the night.

"Don't forget we go to the Moonpool tomorrow night. It'll be the half moon." Leafpool said as she snuggled into her nest of moss and feathers.

"Looking forward to it, Leafpool. Dewpaw yawned. She fell easily into a deep sleep, wondering why Leafpool sounded so…upset? Or anxious?

"Do not be afraid, young one. Starclan is watching over you. We are calling to you."

"Mossheart! It's good to see you." Her dreams had brought her to see her Starclan Guardian once more. Fear pricked Dewpaw's pelt. "What do you mean, Starclan is calling me? Am I dying?!"

"No, my friend. All will be made clear to you. Do not worry. Rest now, and dream happy dreams. I will always look after you." Dewpaw allowed her Guardian's sweet voice to comfort her as she slid further into the world of dreams.

**A/N: Sorry it's a little shorter than usual. But at least you guys get another chapter tomorrow before the epilogue. Thank you all so much for your reviews. I was so humbled when I read them. I hadn't realized so many people cared about my story and it made me extremely happy. So thank you all. I can only reply to a few of you, but know that I appreciate all of you. I wish to especially thank Otterstep of Thicketclan and The Ginger Wolf. Both of you very very kind. And I course, I still love you, Russell Scottie and Blueblizzard.**

**The ideas belong to Russel Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**


	20. Dreams

Chapter 20

Leafpool woke up early the next morning. She had many tasks to do before she and Dewpaw set out for the Moonpool, the most important of them would be to decide if she should stay or go home. As she counted the herbs, she thought more and more about it.

"Leafpool, may I talk with you?" To her surprise, the request came from Littlecloud. He was looking better than he had in a long time; his eyes were bright and his fur well groomed. She pulled herself out of her thoughts to answer him.

"Oh course, my friend. What is it?" Leafpool asked as she got up and followed him out of camp.

"May I come with you to the Moonpool tonight?" The tom looked a little nervous, and Leafpool ha no idea why. His request was natural; she had been surprised by it, but it was not unreasonable. How could it be worth all of his worry?

"Yes. Yes of course. I don't mind, and I know Dewpaw loves your company." The tabby she-cat meowed.

"Would…Could I preform Dewpaw's naming ceremony?" Leafpool realized that was what had him so worried. His request was a strange one. _No wait. Maybe it isn't. After all he is, or was anyway, the Shadowclan medicine cat. I'm just here to help. It would be appropriate to allow him this, even though I want to share this experience with her._

"Yes, I think she would like that." The medicine cat told him. The worry smoothed itself out of his eyes. He gave Leafpool a lick and thanked her before heading back to camp.

_While I am out here I might as well do something useful. _As she hunted for herbs, she tried to convince herself there were plenty of reasons to stay in Shadowclan. But she couldn't hide the fact Dewpaw was the only thing keeping her here. _Sure I've made friends, but I would be okay with seeing them only at Gatherings. Not like with Dewpaw. _Deep down, Leafpool knew she was a Thunderclan cat. Thunderclan was her home, it was where she belonged_. How can I tell her that?_

With her mouth full of catmint and borage, she headed back to the camp. After placing the herbs in the store, she turned to Dewpaw and said, "Little…Littlecloud is coming with us tonight." _No mousebrain! You were going to tell her you were leaving!_

"Great! He's cool!" Dewpaw meowed. Before Leafpool could utter another word, Ivytail came into the den.

"Will you one of you look at Galekit? He got a scratch while he and Aspenkit were playing." The queen asked. Leafpool started to walk out of the den before realizing it was Dewpaw's duty more than it was hers. The tabby she-cat gave her apprentice and nod, so Dewpaw left with Ivytail to go to the nursery.

"Dewpaw!" It was Sparrowflight. _He and Mistfeather must have finished their vigil. _When he entered the den and saw his sister was not inside, he looked at Leafpool questionably.

"She's in the nursery with Ivytail and Galekit. She'll be back soon." Leafpool told him. Sparrowflight nodded and left the den. _I'll tell Dewpaw Sparrowflight was looking for her. _

When her apprentice returned, Leafpool told her Sparrowflight had been asking for her. _How come she's so worried all of a sudden? _"He looked excited." Her mentor said, trying to reassure her.

"Great! I'll go see him." Dewpaw bounded out of the den and skidded to a halt beside her brother. Leafpool watched as they exchanged a greeting and left camp.

"Yes Sparrowflight? Something good I hope?" His sister asked as soon as they were alone.

"The Dark Forest stopped coming to me in my dreams! After the vigil, I slept till Sun-high and I had peaceful dreams!" Sparrowflight exclaimed happily. Dewpaw purred and rubbed her muzzle against her brother's.

"That's wonderful! I'm so glad you're ok! They must have realized they shouldn't mess with you." Dewpaw was happy for her brother. It had been heartbreaking for her to know how upset he was and not be able to help him. Seeing her brother freed from this curse was more than she could have wished for.

The two cats walked back to camp together and parted ways. Leafpool was glad to see her apprentice so happy. "Good news?"

"The best!" the younger she-cat replied.

"Good, good." But Leafpool felt her news was going to be a shadow hanging over her friend's heart. _I must tell her now. But how can I crush that joy? _

All day long, Leafpool struggled to find the right words to tell her apprentice she would be leaving for Thunderclan after the ceremony.

"Dewpaw." She finally meowed as they shared a piece of Fresh-kill. "I have to tell you something."

The seriousness of her mentor's tone reach Dewpaw. The younger she-cat finished her mouthful and looked at her mentor. "Yes?"

"You did fantastically well when Mistfeather was drowning. I wish I could have been there to see it." Dewpaw tried to interrupt, but Leafpool shook her head. "Please let me finish. I have decided it was time you get your full name." Dewpaw's eyes sparkled with happiness and pride. "That is why Littlecloud wanted to come with us. He wants to preform your ceremony. I agreed. But Dewpaw, after that, I'm going back to Thunderclan."

Dewpaw's happiness evoprated like dew on a hot day. She stared at Leafpool as though she didn't comprehend what her friend had said. When she finally spoke it was to say, "I'll miss you. I can see how hard of a decision this was for you to make. So I wouldn't try to change your mind. I'll try to respect what you have decided. But I'll miss you all the same."

_So much heartbreak. We have so many fond memories and we have come to need each other. We've shared laughter and became more than just friends. I feel like I'm abandoning my kit! _But what scared her the most was how quickly, it seemed, Dewpaw had grown up.

Leafpool licked Dewpaw's cheek. "And I will miss you. This choice was hard for me, like you said. But Thunderclan will always seem like home to me. My friends and my family are there. I just can't leave them."

"No you don't have to explain; I understand." Dewpaw meowed.

"Watching you grow and learn and being able to teach you what I know, well it's been one the best experiences of my life. I will always treasure the memories we share." Leafpool promised. "Come on now; don't let this affect you too much. I want you to be excited for your ceremony. You certainty deserve it!"

"You're right, I'll try." Dewpaw mewed.

"I'm going to tell Blackstar and then we can leave. Why don't you go get Littlecloud?" Her mentor suggested.

"Ok!" the thought of going to the Moonpool and receiving her name cheered Dewpaw up like Leafpool hoped it would. _When I first agreed to do this, I never anticipated how close we would have become. _Leafpool walked across the camp and stopped at Blackstar's den.

"Blackstar, may I come in?" She called.

"Yes. What is it?" Blackstar meowed.

"We're just getting ready to leave for the Moonpool. You know that Littlecloud is coming with us, right?" The huge tom nodded, so Leafpool continued. "After the meeting, I will return home to Thunderclan. I have had a wonderful time and I want to thank you for allowing me this pleasure." Leafpool meowed.

"and Shadowclan will be in your debit. We won't be able to thank you enough. If there is ever anything you need, we will be glad to help." The tom dipped his head to Leafpool, who nodded and left the den.

Dewpaw and Littlecloud were waiting for her in the middle of camp. "We're ready." Littlecloud meowed as Leafpool neared them.

"Then let's go." Together, the three cats walked out of camp and through the forest. They crossed the Thunderclan border and Leafpool felt a tremor of excitement to know she would soon be home again.

Just before they reached the border with Windclan, the trio spotted Jayfeather. _How good it is to see him! _The tom stopped and waited for Dewpaw, Leafpool and Littlecloud and the four of them continues on toward the Moonpool. Even Leafpool could feel Dewpaw's excitement the closer they got.

"How was your journey?" Dewpaw asked

"Hard. Glad to be back." He told the apprentice. He turned his face to Leafpool's even though he couldn't see. "Thanks so helping Brightheart out. You saved the clan." He added.

"I was glad to help. Actually, Dewpaw's apprenticeship is over and she will be a great medicine cat. Littlecloud is preforming her naming ceremony and then I'm coming home to Thunderclan." Leafpool told him, unsure of how her son would react to this news.

Some of Jayfeather's confusion ebbed away. "So that's why he's here. Well Littlecloud, it's good to see you again."

"Thank you and it's good to see you too." The older cat meowed back.

They soon caught up with Mothwing, Willowshine and Krestalflight. The medicine cats greeted each other for a moment before climbing the slope that led to the Moonpool. Littlecloud took the lead and each cat settled themselves comfortably around the majestic, shining pool.

Littlcloud walked to the farther edge of the pool, so he stood alone. A heartbeat passed before Dewpaw joined him. Leafpool had never been more proud of Dewpaw than in this moment. All of a sudden, there was a bright light gleaming next to her. She turned and saw Spottedleaf and Mossheart. Both Starclan cats looked at Littlcloud and Dewpaw with happiness sparkling in their eyes. _They've come to see her ceremony!_

Leafpool recalled the night she had made Dewpaw a proper apprentice. Spottedleaf had visited her in her dreams and told Leafpool she had chosen Mossheart to be Dewpaw's Guardian._ I hope she can see Mossheart is here now, with her._

"I, Littlecloud, medicine cat of Shadowclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons."

"Dewpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?" The tom continued.

"I do." Dewpaw's voice echoed among the Moonpool. She sounded excited and confident, ready for the next step of her life.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Dewpaw, from this moment you will be known as Dewleaf, in honor of everything Leafpool has done for you and for Shadowclan. We thank her for her sacrifice and kindness, and we thank you for your intelligence and quick thinking. We welcome you as Shadowclan's medicine cat." The other cats cheered her new name as Littlecloud rested his muzzle on Dewleaf's head. She licked his shoulder respectfully and walked, almost in a trance-like state, over to Leafpool.

Leafpool placed her muzzle on Dewleaf's head just as Littcloud had done. Dewleaf licked her shoulder and both cats stared into each other's eyes. "May all your dreams come true." Leafpool whispered to the cat she loved as her daughter.

But Dewpaw knew they already had.

**A/N: Aaaand that's a wrap. As usual, after I finish a story, there are many people I wish to thank. **

**First and foremost, Russell Scottie. Without whom, there would be no story and certainty not a story as good as this. She has inspired me and helped me so much and I am so thankful I have met her through this experience. I know you're reading this, and I want to say I'm glad you're one of my friends now. **

**Secondly would be Blueblizzard. Where do I even begin and how can I find the words? Well, just know how much I love and appreciate and I'll get back to you on the rest.**

**Next I wish to thank Petalfur and Nyachu-chan. Petalfur, we just recently started talking but you are already so kind to me and everything you told me means the world. Nyachu-chan, thank you for being a great source of inspiration and we should pm a lot more!**

**And lastly thank you to every single person who ever reviewed and read this story. I never thought it would turn out this popular. Thank you for sticking with me and your time and all of your kind words. I love you all. **

**With sorrow, I must say these words for the last time: The ideas belong to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**

**Don't forget to stay tuned for the epilogue!**


	21. Epilogue-Normalcy

Epilogue-2 moons later

"Hey, Leafpool! Nice catch!" Foxleap called from across the clearing.

"Thanks!" Leafpool called back as she put her prey, a mice and a squirrel, on the fresh-kill pile. She looked around the camp in contentment.

"Leafpool, come share with us." Graystripe meowed as he and Millie settled down to eat. The tabby she-cat purred and sat beside her friends. She wasn't hungry but she glad to have friends again. After the prey was finished, the three cats shared tongues.

"How was your stay in Shadowclan?" Millie asked curiously.

"It was…" Leafpool wasn't sure exactly how to describe it. "Worthwhile." She meowed at last. "Dewleaf and I became really close, and it felt great to be working as a Medicine cat again."

"Why didn't you return to Medicine cat duties when you came back home? The clan isn't judging you anymore for the past." Graystripe meowed.

"I understand and I'm thankful. But Jayfeather is more than capable. I don't want him to feel as though I am treading on his tail. He isn't an apprentice; he doesn't need me to help him. There's no reason to have two medicine cats in the clan anyway." Leafpool reasoned.

But the truth was that the tabby she-cat knew her experience as Shadowclan's medicine cat couldn't be repeated. It was something special, something she couldn't get here. _So why even try? _ And Leafpool knew for certain the reason it was so special was because of Dewleaf.

"Leafpool, do you want to go hunting with me?" Squirrelflight meowed, from the thorn barrier. _She must have finished a border patrol or something._ Although she had just gotten back from a hunting patrol, she jumped to her paws eagerly.

"Bye Graystripe, Millie!" She called over her shoulder as she joined her sister.

"Can I come? Please Leafpool?" Spiderleg asked. Squirrelflight looked at her sister. The two she-cats nodded at the same time and the three warriors sped out of camp.

At this time of year, the forests were full of prey. Birds sang as they flew through the treetops and squirrels chatted with each other as they forged for nuts. They made easy catches for the Thunderclan hunters. The Sun was dancing across the sky when they returned. _I could do with a good long sleep now._

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, meet under the Highledge for a clan meeting." Firestar yowled as he climbed up the rocks. Brambleclaw, who had been discussing patrols with Graystripe, took his place at the bottom of the rocks. Daisy, Poppyfrost, and her kits emerged from the nursery. Berrynose, just back from the Sunset patrol, joined his mate. Poppyfrost gave his ear a lick in greeting. Their kits tumbled around their paws.

The elders, Purdy and Mousefur, ducked out of their large den and sat at the back of the crowd. Jayfeather and Brairlight were the last ones to join. Bumblestripe, who was sitting with Dovewing and Rosepetal, called his sister over. Jayfeather sat beside Brambleclaw and the meeting begun.

"Thunderclan, I have heard complaints from the younger warriors about doing the apprentice duties. So I think the solution is to make some. Molekit, Cherrykit, will you two step forward?"

Cherrykit bounded up to the Highledge eagerly, but her brother stayed put. "You only want to make us apprentice so we can do the nasty stuff!" The clan drew in a collective gasp. Poppyfrosts shut her eyes as though she longed to be anywhere but here. Berrynose was looking at his son with a scowl on his face. He seemed about to say something but Firestar spoke first.

"Yes, Molepaw, there are chores to do, but they are just as important as training. And every cat here took a turn doing them when they were apprentices. That's why I've chosen Rosepetal to be your mentor. She's a skilled and swift fighter, and I know she'll pass her training on to you.

"From this time forward, this kit will be known as Molepaw. Now, go and touch noses with Rosepetal." Molepaw still didn't look quite satisfied.

"Can I do some training first?" the new apprentice asked.

"That will be up to your mentor." The leader told him.

"Ok." He still looked out of temper, but he padded forward to accept Rosepetal's greeting.

"Cherrykit until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Cherrypaw. Your mentor will be Foxleap." The red tom padded through the crowd to reach his leader and new apprentice.

"Foxleap, you have shown courage and perseverance in serving your Clan, and I trust that you will pass on these qualities to your apprentice." Firestar meowed. Foxleap nodded and greeted Cherrypaw with a touch of his nose. Cherrypaw returned it politely and the four cats withdrew back into the crowd. The clan cheered for them and Poppyfrost gave her kits a lick.

"I have one more announcement. Brackenfur has told me Sorreltail is expecting another litter of kits." The two cats blinked at each other proudly as the clan yowled their approval congratulations. Firestar leaped down from the Highledge to show the meeting was at end.

Days passed and Leafpool could start looking forward to the Gathering. _I hope I get to go! I want to see Dewleaf again. _Leafpool hadn't been to a Gathering since she left Shadowclan. Firestar said it was to protect her, but she and every cat knew it was to ensure her loyalty to Thunderclan. _My father didn't doubt me; he only did it to prove myself to the rest of the clan. Not that they doubted me much ether. _The whole clan had welcomed her back with open paws.

As Leafpool went into the nursery to see Sorreltail, she saw Sandstorm talking with Brambleclaw. _She looks so much better. _ Leafpool had been so worried about her, but she had pulled through the illness surprisingly quickly. _Especially considering how close she was to Starclan. _Now the ginger warrior looked as though she hadn't been sick in the first place; her eyes were bright as she took in all the sights of the camp, her fur had been groomed neatly till it glowing like a dying flame, and when she ran out of camp, her movements were as graceful as a dove's. _I'm so happy she's ok. _

After she had made sure Sorretail was comfortable, she left the nursery. She was happy to see Lionblaze talking with Cinderheart. Both cats looked happy and Lionblaze reach down to give the dark gray she-cat a lick. Suddenly, he looked up and locked eyes with her. _Uh oh._

But when he worked over, he wasn't the least bit hostile. He dipped his head to his mother and murmured, "I'm glad you're home." The tabby she-cat guessed he was feeling awkward since he usually just shrugged her away.

"Thank you. I'm glad to be back too." She nodded to him. The two cats stood there rather awkwardly for a few moments before Jayfeather called for Lionblaze.

"Erm...see you around." Lionblaze dashed over to Jayfeather and the two toms left camp. _They are fine cats. Oh Hollyleaf, I should have helped you more. Maybe you'd be here now…_

"Leafpool. Firestar said you can go to the Gathering tonight, if you want." Brambleclaw said. Leafpool jumped. She had been focused on Jayfeather and Lionblaze she hadn't realized the deputy had come up to her.

"Yes, I'd like to. Thanks." Leafpool tired recover some of her dignity but Brambleclaw was still purring as he walked away. _Whatever._

Squirrelflight bounded over and touched her nose to Leafpool's. "Did I hear Brambleclaw asking you to the Gathering?" Leafpool nodded excitedly.

Cloudtail, who was just walking past and happened to overhear, said, "Great. It wasn't the same without you, Leafpool."

"Thunderclan! It's time to leave!" Firestar called from his den and slipped down the rocks to the entrance barrier. His warriors pooled around him like the Lake. Leafpool stood with Squirrelflight, Mousewhisker and Brightheart. When at last every cat was ready, the flame colored leader flicked his tail and charged out of camp. The dash through the forest was fine and there weren't any problems as they crossed the moorlands.

Like a squirrel, Leafpool crossed the trunk and jumped onto the island. The scent of pines and fish flitted into her nose. _No, I recognize that smell. _There was one cat-scent that Leafpool picked out of the jumble of smells. _Crowfeather! _Carefully, she took a detour so she would not come into contact with him. Her path led her directly to Dewleaf!

"Hey!" Leafpool greeted her dear friend. The Shadowclan medicine cat turned around and nearly exploded with happiness.

"Leafpool!" she rubbed her muzzle against her former mentor's in greeting. _We been through so many special times, seeing her at an ordinary Gathering feels a little weird, especially now that things are so different. _She could see Dewleaf was having the same thoughts. _At least I get to see her again. I won't ever lose her friendship. _There was no reason to speak these thoughts aloud. Surrounded as they were by so many cats, yet the two friends shared an unbreakable, private bond. They were in their own world.

"Starclan, we have Gathered here tonight once more to uphold all of your traditions." Mistystar started the Gathering.

_I wouldn't change a thing._

**A/N: And there you have it. This story is now officially over. *Sheds a tear. It's been great guys. Still appreciating everyone who had anything to do with it, including anyone who's read/reviewd/favorited/followed. All of you are really amazing. Special thanks go out to ShastamaeFirepool, Mallowfeather of Earthclan, Otterstep of Thicketclan for their kind words from the last chapter. You have touched me beyond words. I never expected such kind reviews. **

**And I lied. This is forever the last time: The ideas belong to Russell Scottie. The characters belong to Erin Hunter. The words are mine.**

**I really hope you all enjoyed this journey. I surely have, and like Leafpool, wouldn't change a thing. **


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